Ner Vod
by RUHLSAR000 AKA Bob Fluffkiller
Summary: Everyone always says I've had a life changing experience, but no one ever says how to pick up the pieces after. For Ezra that moment comes with the end of the lightsaber and a ghost he has held on to for years. Now, Ezra has never felt more lost and is left wondering how to pick up the pieces of things he thought he knew to be true but are not at all.
1. Chapter 1: Of Flesh

**Hey Star Wars Fans! RUHLSAR000 her- *Ducks am incoming tomato* Here! And to all my followers from my other projects. Please don't kill me. My computer went into a legitimate coma and by the time I got a new one, I had started college and just crud kept happening until I moved on to other fandoms. I so know mostly where I was going and now that I've gotten back into writing, those should be updated soon… Probably. *Ducks another tomato* Anyway, I love Star Wars Rebels. I started formally writing this after Fire Across the Galaxy, so it will not be following season two, which will be premiering next week at some convention. I sadly can't stress this enough, ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS! THEY BELONG TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY!** **I love you, Disney!**

_Miranda looks at her husband, holding their newly adopted daughter in his arms. She herself holds their new born son. The Force works in mysterious ways. She had been told that since she was able to walk. And it certainly made planning impossible. Their months of planning destroyed in a matter of seconds. Their plans to return to the Temple. Their plans for Tamara DeLune to raise their son. All smashed. The mid-rim was too close to the destruction. Miranda needs to go into hiding, as do Zara and Caleb. It would be too dangerous for her to stay with her family._

_"We have discussed this, Miranda." Her husband says, suddenly._

_"I didn't say anything." Miranda says, shifting their sleeping son. She had only known her children for a few days and yet she loved both babes more than she had ever believed possible._

_"My brothers won't look twice at a family." Her husband argues, "And what if he takes after you?" He looks down at their son. Terror clear in his eyes. "We already know Sonya is one. I can't hide two. I can't teach them what they will need to know. Only you can."_

_Miranda begins to protest, "But five. It's like a beacon."_

_"Three." A young twenty year old with dark gold hair and blue and green eyes enters the room._

_"Zara." Miranda turns to her student. "What do you mean?"_

_"Caleb and I agreed that, for the children's sake, we can't go with you." Zara says, sadly. "Caleb has already left, but sends his thanks again for sneaking him out of that combat zone and not killing him on the spot." She looks to Miranda's husband, who nods sadly. It was probably to much to ask for him to live with the image of his master's murder for the foreseeable future. The guilt for his brothers' action is like a knife that will stab him for the rest of his life._

_"And you?" Miranda asks the girl she's watched blossom into a beautiful young woman._

_"I'll probably stay and with Mom, for a few months. Then go into hiding on an outer-rim planet." Zara says, "Mom gathered all the documentation you'll need to start a new life."_

_"We'll need to thank Tamara before we go." Miranda says._

_Miranda's husband steps forward, "Where should we set up that new life?" He tried to hide the slight excitement in his voice, it is anything but appropriate. But, a new life with a family is more than he had ever dreamed of._

_"Lothal. It's not yet a part of the Empire. You should be able to set up a life there that no one will look twice at before the Empire gains control. Plus, its pretty easy to broadcast there." Zara gives a knowing smirk._

_Miranda shifts her son to one arm, and puts a hand on Zara;s right shoulder. "You have grown. Perhaps most importantly you have grown into a truly good person. I am proud to call you my friend." She fingers small braid that begins behind her right ear. "In my mind, you have out grown that." Her son wakes up and starts fussing. Miranda smiles at him, "Sh. Ezra. Its alright. Ezra..."_

* * *

Ezra groans as he wakes up. _"Ter 6! Specter 6! EZRA!" _Ezra has the strangest sense of deja vu. Only instead of Hera yelling at him, it was Kanan. Sitting up, Ezra picks up the com, "Here Specter 1. What happened?" Ezra tries to remember, but it is hard through the very sharp headache.

_"One of Specter 5's explosives went off early_." Kanan says.

"_It was NOT my explosives._" Sabines voice pipes in.

_"Wha' so the Empire decided to blow up ther' own ship." _Zeb say.

"Hey, I am fighting a concussion here. Could you quiet down." Ezra says.

_"We'll be right there, Specter 6."_ Kanan says.

"No! We need to get the info to confirm my vision. Look I'll head back to the _Ghost_. Okay?" Ezra argues. The vision, the others may not realize its significance, but Kanan and Ashoka understood.

_"You had better be on the Ghost, when we get back."_ Kanan ordered, clearly not happy. The other begin to protest, but Ezra puts the com away. He stands and begins trying to find his way back to the Hanger Bay. He was in the bowels of the ship. The fastest way would be through the core. The way with the least amount of stormtroopers would be the vents, but with the possible, probable concussion, that seemed a little dangerous. Especially since Kanan would not be able to fit, if Ezra passed out. The core awaits. He ducks to the side as stormtroopers, concerned with Sabine's distraction, completely missed his presence. The door to the core opens. On the cat walk in front of him, a girl his age, though half a head taller, stands, glaring at him. Her light golden hair is tied back in twin french braids. She wears a white halter dress with so much fabric cut away from her midriff that only an 'X' of fabric is left. White leggings disappeared into white boots. But her eyes, yellow eyes, with their cold glare, causes Ezra to pause. Her message is clear without a word.

"Specter 1," Ezra grabs his com, "I may be late."

Kanan's reaction is predictable and loud, _"What do you mean? Specter 6!" _Ezra turns off his com. The girl reaches to the small of her back pulling out one metal cylinder with a second cylinder, which she grips, stuck out at a ninety degree angle at one end. She lined the cylinder with her forearm. She the pulls out a twin cylinder in her other hand. She clicks a button on each cylinder, igniting two three feet long lightsaber blades.

"Right, I am definitely going be late." Ezra says, drawing his lightsaber and the shoto he had found in his house not three months ago. It surprised both him and Kanan. The green blade shouldn't have existed and yet it was there. After serval hours, Ezra decided to take it. Kanan had let him decided by himself. Ezra took to duel wielding quickly, as if it was in his blood. And looking at the muscles of the girl in front of him he is going to need every ounce of skill he has gained.

She lunges. Ezra barely swings his blades up in time to block. Ezra's arm shake from the impact. She, in an impressive display of flexablity, weaves her leg between the blades, landing a kick on to his chest, tossing Ezra back to the ground. Ezra rolls to the side, avoiding her strikes. He clips his blades to his belt, then rolls off the edge. The girl knees down, turning off her blades, looking over the edge, shocked.

Ezra using years of surviving on the street and the Force, flings himself to the other side of the cat walk and back on. The girl barely dodges the first kick but not the second. She jumps back ten feet, landing with her right hand grazing the floor. A laugh escapes her lips, "You're very resourceful."

"Had to be." Ezra reignites his blades, sliding into back stance.

"You'll need to be more than that to survive my vengeance." She slides into an attack stance, "After all, I'm resourceful, too." She shoots forward, pinning his blades. Then, without warning, her blades vanish, as she moves to the left. Ezra, not expecting the sudden lack of pressure, is thrown off balance and falls forward, into the girl's knee. Though Ezra's breath is knocked out out of him, he takes the opportunity to hook her knee with his arm and sweep out her ankle, throwing her to the ground. She flips over, kneeling, barely blocking Ezra's blade. Striking back she swings her other blade. Ezra blocks with the shoto. The girl struggles, but stands up, with the pressure of Ezra's blades baring down upon her. With a surge of strength, Ezra forced her back while jumping back.

"Vengeance? What have I done to you? I don't even know you." Ezra thinking of ways to end this battle. She is strong and, judging by her movements, had more training than him. In other words, a difficult battle without his head spinning from the explosion.

"No, but your master killed my master, the only person in seven years to show me any kindness." She yells, "I will make him suffer. Nothing could make him suffer more than losing his apprentice. That's what my master feared most. That's the pain I will give your master." She launches at him.

Ezra blocks all the strikes, before lock their blades "My master wouldn't kill anyone!"

"No! My master, the inquisitor that was sent after you two, would disagree." She yells, again, before jumping back. She breathes, calming herself into fury both icy and fiery. That sends waves of worry through Ezra. A fiery fury, experience has taught him, grants strength. An icy fury, a relentless clarity. Both meant he is in deep trouble. He is already barely holding his own. The Inquisitor had trained his apprentice well and she wants his blood.

The girl kicks into a new gear. Ezra struggles to block each strike, due to five more coming with each block. She knocks his blades to one side and momentarily pins both his blades with one of her. She turns off the lightsaber not in use, swinging it around before striking at Ezra temple with the pommel. Ezra barely ducks in time. She's flicked her lightsaber back to place and ignited before Ezra has recovered from his duck. He locks their lightsabers, again. Ezra pants, and though the girl isn't showing it Ezra feels the twinges of exhaustion lacing her Force signature. Yet, they continue to push their lightsaber, if one should falter the other will strike the other.

Ezra hopes Kanan, panicking, had ignored Ezra's wishes and is on his way. If Ezra even tried to go for his com, he'd be dead before he'd reach. Ezra is under no delusions about that.

With a flash of inspiration, that would have cause him to hit himself had he not been so sure the girl would (With her lightsaber), Ezra flicks his guard around and fires at her. She couldn't dodge it. The stun allowed Ezra to put distance between the two, but she is still between him and the door he needs to go through. Not much else is achieved. The girl didn't even falter. Through staggered breath, she smirks, "My, My, a Jedi using a blaster and one combined with his lightsaber, the sacred weapon of peace. What would the masters of the old order think?"

Ezra's breathe calms into a normal pattern, "Does it matter? Now's a time when a Jedi needs a blaster."

For whatever reason, the girl flinches, "Shame to have to kill you. You remind me of my mother. She had the deepest blue eyes. A truly amazing Jedi." She lunges forward again, their short reprieve over.

Ezra blocks, "Revenge will only leave you hollow."

"Ha. You are a Jedi." She growls. She pushes forward, all her pain from the open wounds to her heart comes to the surface and with it, a surge of ferocity. Ezra screams from the most agonizing pain he has ever felt. Both his lightsabers hit the floor of the catwalk, his with a clang and the shoto with barely a sound. Ezra falls back, off the edge of the catwalk. He catches sight of his severed left arm, still clutching the shoto. Ezra grabs onto the edge of the catwalk with his right hand. He tries to pull himself up but he can't. _KANAN!_ He screams through the bond. Unless a miracle happened, Ezra is dead. There is no other catwalk, or ledge this time. Just hundred foot drop into the engine.

The girl steps forward. Ezra looks up at her, she down at him. A memory struggles to the surface.

* * *

_ "EBBY!" A six year old girl with blonde hair tied back in twin braids and forest green eyes says, looking over the edge of the tall building's roof they were on. "Mom isn't going to like this. And she will know she always know."_

_ "Like how she liked you climbing that tree, Sunny." A six year old Ezra laughs as the wind blows into his face._

_ "That was different and you know it. That bird had a broken wing I had to heal it." Sunny says, looking over the edge. After a moment of sheer terror, she gasps at the view. "WOAH!" She starts gasping words of amazement in Mandalorian._

_ Ezra laughs, "Told you so." Ezra gestured to the communication tower in the distance, "Someday I am going to climb it, and see everything for miles."_

_ "And I'll be right there beside you. Right?" Sunny smiles._

_ "When are we ever apart, Sis?" Ezra smiles at his adopted sister in Mandalorian. _

_ "Never, Brother." Sunny smiles, answering in Mandalorian. After a moment, she asks in Mandalorian, "Why do you think we can do what we can do? Why can I heal things just by touching them? Why do you know what's going to happen before it happens?"_

_ "Mom said she'd tell us when we turned seven." Ezra says._

_ "But that's months away!" Sunny yells in common._

_ "It's not like we can make her tell us any sooner, and I'm going to have to wait a whole week longer than you." Ezra mock glares at her, causing her to laugh. "Come on Mom is already going to have a loth-cow." Ezra spins._

_ "Ezra!" Sunny yells, before it happens. Ezra's foot lands on a wet stone, giving him no traction. It slides out fast. Ezra is falling off a five story building. He barely grabs on to the edge in time, but he's not strong enough to keep holding on._

_ He feels the stone edging out of his grip. He feels two hands wrap around his wrist. He looks up to see his sister, holding on to him and pulling up. A new fear fills him, what if he took his sister with him. "Save it!" Sunny grunts. "I'm not letting go. We can pull you up or we go splat." Ezra nods. "On three.'" Sunny grits her teeth. "One. Two. Three!" The two kids pull with all their strength. Somehow Ezra gets his chest on to the ledge, then his right leg, then his left leg. "Are you okay?"_

_ "What were you thinking? You could have been pulled over as well." Ezra says, his legs shake before giving out. _

_ Sunny sinks to her knees in front of him, "I am Sonya Yon. That's who I was born and no amount of fake paperwork can change that, but I am your sister, Sunny Bridger. We are a part of each other. I named you Ebby and you named me Sunny." Sunny smiles, and in her light gentle voice says. "I'll always catch you. And you'll always catch me. That's what it means to be you and me"_

* * *

Ezra's hand feels the cold metal slipping away. Scared, he gives one last look to the girl before squeezing his eye shut. At least, the other were able to complete the mission. He refused to believe they hadn't. His hand loses his grip.

Ezra is stopped by a slight but surprising jerk, as two hands squeeze his wrist. Ezra's eye shoot open. The girl is lying on her stomach, looking straight at him with wide yellow eyes and with a pained yet panicked look. She squeezes her eye shut and Ezra feels himself start to float. Like when he fell off the _Ghost_, but not as strong. She tugs him on to the catwalk. Both collapse on the ground, panting. The adrenaline finally running its course.

"You helped me..." Ezra say as a question, though a part of him isn't surprised.

She moves on to her knees, looking so much like she did all those years ago "I said... I'd always catch you..." Her voice soft and edged with traces of fear, unlike her taunts earlier.

"Sunny..." Ezra starts.

"Sonya, Ezra. Sunny died when I broke four years ago. Even then I hadn't used Sunny since your seventh birthday." Sonya says, sadly. Ezra catches her real meaning immediately. "You better forget about me. After all, we are on opposite sides. I won't kill you for vengeance but for my duties to the Empire I will have to eventually. Your only chance is to kill me, before I can kill you."

"What? No, run away! Go far away! Where they can't find you! Or join us!" Ezra tries to sit up, but falls back down.

"Maybe I could have once, but I am too broken now." Sonya stands and looks down at him. "You were my brother, Ezra. I loved you. Still do. But, we are opposite sides of a coin, in shadow and light, bleached and in color."

"Sunny..." Ezra says before his injuries catch up to him. He collapses. Sonya for the first time in a while wishes her healing abilities stuck with her through her fall. The fall that Ezra is, no doubt, going to blame himself for not catching.

The door to a catwalk above them opens. The man Sonya hates more than anything runs through them. Sonya wants to kill him more than anything. So she will. She turns to face him. A moment passes of him staring at her and her glaring at him. Something tugs in her mind. Not lingering light, but something that stops murderess plans. Ezra. She kills his master, she will sentence him to the same pain she has been feeling for the past six months. She would have to kill them together, but even before she thought it she doubted she'd ever be able to kill Ezra. She only hoped he didn't know that.

The moment ends. Sonya summons her discarded lightsabers as she runs to the exit.

Kanan swoops down on to the catwalk and rushes to Ezra. "No. No. No." He chants to himself. He feels for a pulse, grateful to find a weak one. He needs to get back to the _Ghost_. He looks around for his padawan's lightsabers. He found the normal one, summoning it. His breath hitches as he see the other one. He looks down to confirm his horror. He needed to get Ezra out of here. Now! He summons the shoto, and halls Ezra over his shoulder and starts to run.

* * *

Ezra's consciousness waxes and wanes multiple time over the last who knows how long. It is in these blurs that the nightmare comes and goes taunting him. Finally, the faint sound of beeping annoys him enough to get up. Or rather opens his eyes. It's dark. That's the first thing he realizes. There are a few for lack of a better word nightlights in the room, just enough for him to make out several beds with bars on the sides. Hospital beds. There are three to his left, two to his right. He then notices he's in one. That annoying beeping, a heart monitor. Ezra notices with irritation he has an oxygen tube hooked up to his face as well as an IV to his arm. With further irritation he notices he couldn't sit up. With a sigh, he opens his bond to his master. Feeling Kanan's exhaustion and unusually high stress levels, Ezra decides to let his master continue sleeping.

Ezra final notices one last thing. His left arm. Holding it up, he flexes it. The shiny metal parts glint as they move in the minimal light. A tear slides too easily down his face. It wasn't a nightmare. He... He couldn't deal with it right now. He sees a nurse call button. He pushes it. There is the sound of a chair scraping roughly against the ground. The door whooshes open, to see a Twi'ek nurse rush in.

Ezra cringes, "Sorry, didn't mean to cause you to panic, just thought the doctor might want to know I am a wake after... How long was I out for?"

She gives him a warm smile. "Two days."

"No wonder Kanan felt exhaust. Could we not wake them? I think they need some rest." Ezra say, worrying about the crew.

The nurse nods. "I'll call the doctor, but wait till morning before calling the Ghost Cell." Cell, it sounded so cool in Ezra mind, yet a whopping six month later and he still wasn't used to it, yet. He isn't alone anymore and they aren't going anywhere, not this time.

Ezra let himself get lost in his memories for once, the pain, the loss, the love. There is a reason the crew, his cell didn't know about his past and it wasn't that he didn't trust them. No, it is something far simpler. It is too dark. He didn't want pity or his past to haunt the crew. Because, while the Empire broke Sonya, the streets broke Ezra. Ezra has had fixed himself so many times, only to be smashed again. He didn't want to break again, because each time it got harder to pick up the pieces. The question remains though, is he broken yet again?

The doctor comes rushing in. Ezra couldn't help but smile at the doctor's loth-cat slippers.

* * *

Kanan woke up at seven hundred, an hour later than normal. But given how exhausting the last few days had been it isn't really surprising. And because of the last few days, it isn't surprising that he shoots out of bed. He dresses quickly, and nearly runs into Hera as she comes out of her room. "You know, Love, they would have commed us he woke up." Hera puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Is that stopping you from going to wait at his bedside until we are force onto a mission?" Kanan ask, though they both noticed the answer. Hera shakes her head, a sad smile on her face.

"Can we hurry up?" Zeb asks leaning against the wall.

Sabine leans next to him, "How did the mission go so bad?" She is sure Ezra is going to blame her. She didn't set the explosives but someone had used her style of explosives and that resulted in Ezra getting separated and well they don't really know what happened. Just that Ezra faced off against what they thought was another inquisitor (Scary thought), and a tough one too. They walk out of the _Ghost _and into the main hanger. The medical ward isn't far for reasons now too familiar to the crew. A familiar Torguta runs into them as they enter the medical bay.

"Hey," Ashoka calls in surprise, "I thought you'd have gone running as soon as the com went out."

"What are you talking about?" Hera asks.

A nurse pops her head up with a yawn, "Given how exhausted he felt the Ghost Cell was, Ezra requested that the Ghost Cell not be commed until a reasonable hour."

"Ah," Ahsoka nods, understandingly. "Yeah, Ezra woke up around 3:00."

"What? Why weren't we commed?" All of the crew yells.

"Hey, I only found out this morning." Ashoka hold her hands up. Zeb starts arguing something, which naturally means Hera is trying to calm him. Kanan rolls his eyes and walks to ward 4. Soft music is playing in the background, from a beat up old radio. He smiles seeing Ezra who, while still hooked up to every machine Kanan could name and a few he couldn't, is propped up by the bed into a seat position, talking with the doctor. A plate that formerly held food is off to the side. Ezra holds up is new hand and press the tip of his thumb to each finger then reverses the process with an eye roll, earning a chuckle from the doctor, who notices Kanan.

"Well, it seems you have a visitor." The doctor smiles, Ezra looks over and smiles as he see Kanan.

"Five actually, but I think Hera is trying to calm Zeb after he found out we weren't commed when you woke up." Kanan walks over to Ezra, who sheepishly rubs the back of his head.

The others come in after a moment. "Thank goodness you're awake," Hera smiles.

"Sorry for worrying you," Ezra smiles at the crew, not really sure what to say. Small or large, he isn't used to people worrying about his injuries. It is nice, he had to admit and a part of him feels a little guilty for that.

"Kid, not' like it yo'r fault." Zeb says.

Though Zeb doesn't mean it to, the words cause Sabine to flinch. "Ezra, I just want you to know-" Sabine starts but stops as Ezra holds up his right hand.

"I know you didn't set off the bomb, Sabine. It was probably, Sunn- Sonya. It was probably Sonya, Sonya Yon. She wanted to fight me alone. Actually she wanted to kill me." Ezra says.

"Sonya?" Ahsoka asks.

"The girl who you were fighting?" Kanan realizes. The girl who cut off his hand. "She told you her name?"

"She didn't need to." Ezra say, knowing he is going to have to tell them. She may have told him to forget about their past but he couldn't. And it would come to the surface eventually. Ezra could only choose the way that would have the least amount of fall out, but it was also the most painful way.

"What do you mean?" Kanan asks. A new song begins on the radio, a very old song. Ezra heart monitor begins to beep faster, and Ezra can't help but think 'It has to be that one?'

The doctor realizing the source of the sudden distress asks, "Would you like to turn the radio off?"

Ezra shakes his head, "No, it's just that was my sister's favorite song when we were kids." The crews jaw drop, "You have a sister?"

"Adopted, I thought she died... eight almost nine years ago. She was too good to survive the streets. Then..." Ezra suddenly remembered the mission. "What happen during the mission?"

With a look to the heart monitor, the doctor sighs, "You're too excitable."

"We could not confirmed your vision but got everyone out safely. You're going to have to tell us what happened with Sonya." Ahsoka says. Kanan looks at her as if asking 'Now?' Ashoka shrugs him off, "You have history with her?"

Ezra could have lied, a part of him, the part that hadn't accepted the truth, wanted to so badly because there was no way the girl with a natural abillity to Force heal could fall. No way his sister could fall. Ezra sniffs and has to stop himself from rubbing his eyes with both hands, "Yes. I didn't realize it was her at first and she didn't recognize me. We fought. But as I was hanging on to the edge of the catwalk, I recognized her as she stood above me. And she recognized me. It was too much like that day when we were six... She caught me then and now... She pulled me up to the catwalk... After that I passed out..." Ezra breathing hitches as he fights back tears.

"She saved you but she was trying to kill." Sabine interrupts. "Why would she save you?"

"Because... she's my sister." Ezra say simply because that's all he could muster. Ezra begins to here that weird buzzing sound that is only audible in silence. Ezra has enough sense to squeeze his hands over his ears.

"WHAAAAT?!"

The nurse comes rushing in. "Ami, could you get Alexi of the Timber Cell." The doctor rubs his ears. The nurse nods, "Never a dull moment." With a confused look from Ahsoka, the doctor adds on "He was a child psychologist before he joined the rebellion." Ahsoka nods.

"Ow." Ezra groans, looking at his metal hand. "Doc, I'm going to assume that blood is not a good lubricant for my hand. Right?" The doctor groans before going to examine Ezra's bleeding left ear.

"Sonya Yon is your sister?" Kanan asks. Ezra nods, annoying the doctor in the process. "How?" Kanan asks the question on everyone's mind.

"My mom and her sister were traveling, don't ask me why my mom was traveling within a week of my do date, but she was. Her sister found a new born abandoned in the street, and brought her back. I was born, and a week later I was born. My dad joined us a week later. Then, they moved to Lothal with fake papers to avoid the Empire and the rest is history." Ezra says, "That's all I know about how Sunny, ah, Sonya was adopted. Mom and Dad were vague at best about how and why they moved to Lothal. But I can tell you that becoming a inquisitor was the last thing she wanted to be. Mom would tell us stories of the Jedi as kids. Sunny wanted to be a Jedi. Not to fight but to keep peace. She loved the stories of negotiations...of the wars the Jedi stopped and prevented" Ezra brushes tears out of his eyes. Hera got up and grabs a box of tissues. "Thanks," Ezra says taking the box and blowing his nose.

"You weren't born on Lothal?" Sabine asks surprised, speaking up for the first time. Ahsoka nods, slightly before leave, she wasn't needed. Everyone realizes this is to put this subject to bed for now and for that Ezra is grateful.

"No, I was born on a small sparsely populated moon of the Callali system," Ezra nods. "I actually have a godmother on Callali, though I've never met her. I wonder if she even knows my parents were taken."

"Where were your parent's from?" Zeb asks.

"Corusant." Ezra answers, stifling a yawn.

The doctor stands, "Alright that's enough excitement. Specter 6 has been through a lot and needs rest. I'd say he needs a drink but he's too young." The doctor starts hustling the crew out.

"Master?" Ezra says after a moment.

Kanan stops, before looking to the doctor. "Two minute." The doctor leaves.

Kanan walks back to Ezra, "You okay, Kid?" Kanan knows it's a stupid question, but Ezra always faked a laugh and pretended to be fine when he asks.

Ezra shake his head, "Honestly, no. She wasn't just my sister. She was my best friend for the first seven years of my life. We were never apart and that's not an exaggeration. When we were separated, when she was taken it was like I lost a piece of myself. Her memory helped me get through so many hard times when I was on the street..." Kanan put a hand on Ezra's shoulder. "You said that there is no coincidence, it's all the Force."

"Yes," Kanan nods, not knowing where this is going.

"Then what does that mean for Sunny and me?"

**Please favorite, follow, and/or review. Constructive criticism is welcome, but flames are not. And unlike my other fanfics, I can safely say see you next Friday!**


	2. Chapter 2: Stepping Forward, Not Back

**RUHLSAR000 Here! I told you I'd be back next Friday! So, here is chapter 2. We get to see some other rebel cells today, including my take on a canon character that has yet to appear. It was fun writing about another Force sensitive teen who was in a group who had no understanding of the Force. Remember, while the media focuses on the Jedi, they were very few even at the peak of power, which is why the Empire was able to spins negative tales about them. Which leads to me to ask why Ezra did seem to think badly of them when he found Kanan's lightsaber? Maybe his mother told him stories? Her stories maybe? But, back to topic, most people have zero knowledge of the Force, so mixing kid who is acutely aware of her gift into a group who has really no knowledge or respect for the Force was incredibly fun to write, because we all have that feeling of dealing with people who just don't get our hobbies or likes. I am thinking specifically of those call cartoons for kid. Anyway, I apologize for errors, delays, and long winded author notes like this one. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! THEY BELONG TO THE BELOVED LORD MOUSE!**

Ezra decides he hates the mind numbing boredom the most about his confinement to the medical ward. He isn't that injured. His arm is healing nicely. But when he talked about going on missions with the crew or even moving back into the _Ghost_ the crew gave him the most unified and resounding "No" he had ever heard. Meaning they are on mission and he is stuck talking to Alexi. Alexi just left so Ezra couldn't even talk to him.

Alexi is cool, not like those holo-drama stereotypes. But, for Ezra, it is hard talking about the past, so he is probably not making things easy on the middle aged human. Ezra also realized he isn't getting out of here until he gets a clean bill of health including mental. Alexi probable won't give him one.

Ezra yawns. He admits going on a mission right now, with the sleep deprivation from the nightmares and memories he'd been getting, would be a mistake. The nightmares are part of the reason he wanted to go back to the _Ghost_. Nightmares aren't uncommon, and he did have a system or two for dealing with them. The problem is his most useful tool for preventing nightmares is on the ship. And his pride doesn't want Zeb to know about it. A stuffed Tooka named Mr. Ton Ton that his mother made him before he was born. It is his most cherished possession. And Zeb would tease him mercilessly if he found out. He might even take it to tease him and accidentally hurt him... it, Ezra meant it.

"No, I didn't but no one has to know." Ezra grumbles to himself.

"Know what?" A girl's voice surprises him. Ezra's head snaps to D of the Phoenix Cell. A rather pretty dark skinned human girl with hair so curly that her low ponytail looked like a bowl, D is his age, maybe a year older, with complete amnesia from before she was train to be and Emperor's Hand or Inquisitor, they weren't quite sure. D had broken the heck out of that place before she had even been there for a year, with or without memories. She then followed the Force to the Pheonix Cell and, after a mission that but the wookie incident to shame judge by the vague details Ezra got from off handed remarks from other members of the Phoenix Cell, had joined the rebellion. Ezra hadn't got to the chance to speak with her before. Now, he didn't want to.

He turns his head away from her. He wants to scream at her, though. To ask why her?! Why not Sunny?! It hurt to look at her and he can't take it. Worse, he hates himself for not helping Sunny. For being mad at D. He knows he shouldn't, that hate is the path to the dark side, but denying these feelings can't be doing him any favors. So, he lets them out in the most childish way possible, cause that would hurt everyone the least. He ignores her.

* * *

"So, is it okay to talk about your arm?" D asks, obliviously. Ezra ignores her. "To soon alright. You're Force-sensitive, right? Obviously, you're a padawan. I've been trying to get Ahsoka to train me but she keeps saying she's no longer a Jedi. I think she still is, though. Just a Jedi of this time. What do you think?" Ezra ignore her. "You tired?" Ezra ignores her. "You look like you haven't been sleeping well." Ezra ignores her. "Get some sleep, Padawan." She smiles. Ezra hates that she's so nice. But he listens to her last words.

_"Ezra! Sonya! Tseebo thinks we should go back now," Tseebo says. The two children are play Loth-Cat pounce in the tall grasses surrounding town. Ezra spins around to Tseebo, "Alright, come o-" Ezra steps to the side, as a figure rushes passed. "You aren't good at being the Loth-Cat." Ezra smiles at the girl who tumbled to the ground._

_ "I can pounce any other kid in town, Ebby." Sunny glares up at him._

_ Ezra giggles, offering a hand, "Come on. Let's go home."_

_ Sunny takes his hand, and says in Mandalorin, "You only want to get home, to learn Mom's secret."_

_ "And cake," Ezra smiles, then adds in Mandalorin, "Can't you give me one hint."_

_ Sunny seems to consider it. "Nope!" She smirks, before running to Tseebo. _

_ "Sunny!" Ezra race after her_

_ "Come on, Birthday Boy!" They race back to town. As they reach town, Tseebo takes each of them by the hand. They walk slowly through the Empire Day crowds. Ezra lets out a bah sound, gesturing to a stormtrooper. Sunny giggles. But, as they round the corner to their street, they see a swarm of stormtrooper and officer surrounding their house. All humor slips away._

_ "Tseebo thinks this isn't good." Tseebo says, worried for his friends._

_ Ezra says in Mandalorian, "They couldn't have found the broadcast came from here, could they?" The next thing he sees is Sunny's back running towards the house. He leans forward to run after her, to his parents, but Tseebo's grip tighten around his hand and he pulls Ezra back into his arms. "Sunny! Come back!" Ezra tries to break free but can't. Then there is nothing. No Tseebo, no stormtroopers, no city. Ezra sinks to the ground. Footsteps echo behind him. He looks over his shoulder to see Sonya Yon, her current self._

_ "Why did you hesitate?" She say accusingly._

_ "I tried." Ezra sniffs_

_ "You hesitated. We could have taken them together. We could have saved our parents together. Yet, you hesitated. Now, they are dead, and I have fallen. It's all your fault."_

* * *

Ezra burst awake. His breathing ragged and heavy. That is the twelfth time he has had that nightmare in under twenty-four hours. A new record.

"What's your fault?" Ezra ignores D. She is back, today, it seemed. It wasn't his fault, his conscious mind knows. "You kept yelling it's my fault, all my fault." Ezra ignores her. D mumbles something that sounds like brick and wall.

William, a big fellow that scares most people on meeting them in the Phoenix Cell, pops in. "D, Sage need you to run diagnostics on the _Firebirds._"

"Again?" D asks, it was the fourth time this week she has had to repair their three smaller ships.

"Yes, again. Oh, you're Ezra, right? Heard ya got pretty banged up a few days ago. You doing okay?" William ask.

"I'm getting physically better every day, but as cool as this is," Ezra holds up his arm. "It's going to take time to get used to."

"I can imagine," William laughs good naturedly as he leaves. D's jaw drops as she looks between the door and Ezra several time before Ezra literally sees the imaginary light bulb go off. She lets out frustrated almost yell before stomping off the fix the _Firebirds_. While feeling slightly bad, he finds it incredibly amusing.

* * *

D tosses a wrench at a wall. Then uses the Force to summon it back. She throws it again and again as the diagnostics run. She couldn't wrap her head around it. D thought she had long since proven herself as a loyal member of the rebellion. It's not as if she choose to become trained in the dark side of the force, that she knows of. Of course, there are always doubters. But she didn't think that the one other kid on this base who might know what she was going through, to have these powers thrust upon her when she barely knows herself, would be one of them.

Sure, they are different, but there is also no rank between them, not like Ahsoka and Kanan. And she had thought, had hoped, that they could be friends and maybe talk about this stuff. Maybe, she thought, he'd understand what it was like to be alone... D sinks to the floor. Her crew is great, they are amazing friends, but she is the only one to not know her past, she's the only one to be Force-sensitive. It is pretty isolating.

She is a fool. And nothing can convince her otherwise. She closes her eyes. A picture flashes through her mind. A stuffed tooka. Suddenly, she just knows it is in a metal drawer under the top bunk of a cabin.

She stands. She's had these flashes, not vision, a handful amount of times, but each time they show her something she needs to see find. The first one showed her crew. This one is confusing. She has no clue why she need a stuffed tooka. "Force knows more than me," She checks the diagnostics, they'd take another fifteen minutes. "Willy! I'll be right back." She calls to William.

"But the diagnostic-"

"Won't be done for fifteen minutes. The Force wants me to do or know something." She yells back.

"Then tell it to take a number." William waves it off, like all the crew does.

D sighs, "It doesn't work like that." She follow the tingling, surprisingly it leads her back to the medical ward. She could have sworn that the bunk was a ship's bunk. She stops in front of Ward 4. The door is open, probably to let air circulate. She pauses just outside the room, enough to see Ezra.

Ezra is alone, shocking. He mumbles just loud enough for D to barely hear, "I wish I could get Mr. Ton Ton. I'm not going to get any sleep with these nightmares." Well, now she knows what the stuffed tooka is, where it is and why it is important. Does she have any desire to go get it for him? No, not really.

She spies his arm. Okay, perhaps her little tantrum was a little uncalled for. After all, the crud the inquisitors have put him and his crew through, it may be a little much to expect him to trust a former "one" so soon after meeting her. Doesn't mean it didn't hurt. Tomorrow she would talk to him about it. After all, talking to him is all Alexi asked her to do, to have someone closer to his age that he isn't always around, maybe then he'd open up a little better. Clearly, that hasn't worked, but no harm done right. D sighs. Maybe she needs to be open for him to be open. But that isn't easy. She turns, heading back to the _Phoenix_.

"D!" Sage's voice blasts through com. "I told you to run diagnostics-"

"I am!" D pipes back, "They won't be done for another seven minutes. I had to listen to the Force, thank you very much."

"I don't care about the Force, we are running a mission within the hour and we need those ships up and running." Sage says back. D rolls her eyes. Yeah, they just don't understand the Force.

"Then don't piss me off. I'll get them done faster." D shoots back closing the line. As she rounds the corner, she nearly runs into someone. After stopping quickly to avoid a collision, she notices it's Hera.

"Pardon me." Hera says.

On impulse D stops her, "Wait. I think Ezra want his stuffed Tooka, the one he hide in a drawer. But is too embraced to ask for someone to get it."

Hera turns to her, "He asked you to ask?" One of her tattooed eyebrows raises.

"Not a word." D says. "But it's a... feeling."

"The Force?" Hera asks. D nods, slightly worried Hera would dismiss it like her crew. They wanted hard data, not feelings.

But Hera nods, "I'll be sure to get it to him."

"Don't say anything to him okay." D protests.

"Now who's embarrassed?" Hera smiles.

D's com bursts to life, "The diagnostic are done. Where are you?"

"I told you not to piss me off, Sage. I'll be right there." D rolls her eye. "Good bye, Captain Hera." D saunters back to the _Phoenix_.

* * *

Ezra sighs, as he returns to the land of the waking. It is the first restful sleep he has gotten in days, since before Sonya. "That thing really works." D's voice interrupts his thoughts. He should have known. Three days, that how long it's been three days since he woke up from his coma and each day she has come to try and talk to him. He looks up at her this time. She's pointing to the stuffed tooka that is only about two fist tall. "Where can I get one? Got my own host of nightmare to ward off." Yes, Ezra can imagine, and Sunny no doubt had to go through them, too. Ezra is exceedingly grateful that Hera brought him yesterday, saying and a little birDie told her to bring it. Ezra rolls over hugging Mr. Ton Ton closer.

He hears a sigh. "Look, Ezra. I know you don't like me. But I didn't chose to be trained in the way of the dark side. I... I don't think I did anyway... But, I choose to be here. Fighting for those in need. Rather than finding out about my past. I am loyal to the Rebellion. It is all I am and all I have. That and the Force, there is always the Force. I just hoped we could be friends, because no one on my gosh dang ship understands the Force... I just don't want to feel alone..." Ezra knows exactly how she feels. He knows what it's like to be alone in a sea of people. He knows what it's like to be misunderstood. He knows that without Kanan and the crew, he'd still be alone. He knows, he's a selfish jerk.

Ezra says something in a language D doesn't recognize, but it is clear and loud, even with a bit of an accent. "I'm sorry. I didn't catch it. What does that mean?"

Ezra smirks and says in common, "You already answered your question."

"What?" D ask. Ezra ignores her. "We're back to this game. Are we?" She lets out a groan, "I'll be back tomorrow. I'm not losing." And though Ezra feels like a jerk, he actually smiles. He looks forward to it.

The moment D steps out into the hall she mumble the foreign phrase memorizing it's words and tone. She wants to know what it means. Sabine of Ghost Cell! She is fluent in a multitude of languages. She hustles over to the hanger and spots Sabine in full color in the corner working on what D hopes to be tiny round sculptures. She walks over and waits. After two minutes, Sabine set down the ball she was working on. "You going to say something? Or just stare at me?"

"I just didn't want to accidentally blow us up." D says.

"I'm better than that, so what is it that brings you here?" Sabine smiles.

"I heard a a few words in a language I don't know. I was hoping you could translate them.

Sabine smiles, "I'll do my best."

"I'll try not to butcher them." D clears her throat and says the words.

Sabine's eyes widen and her jaw drops. "That bad," D cringes at the thought, "I mean we aren't on the best terms, so not much of a surprise." D sighs. Even after her heart to heart...

"It's not that, I am just surprised. I didn't know anyone else on base spoke Mandalorian." Sabine say quickly, the words themselves making a lot more sense with that lovely little piece of information D provided.

"Mandalorian?" D asks for confirmation, surprise lacing her voice. Lothal and Mandalore are nowhere close to each other. How would a street kid from Lothal know a language of a culture he hasn't been to once?

"Yeah, I haven't spoken it myself since I left Mandalore, but there is no doubt that that is Mandolorian." Sabine says. Okay, Ezra did not learn it from Sabine. D crosses out the most obvious source.

"What does it mean?" D asks, returning to the reason she came to find Sabine.

"It means 'I'm sorry'." Sabine says. Ezra's next comment make plenty more sense. D thanks Sabine and goes wandering.

Meanwhile, Ezra stares at Mr. Ton Ton, holding him above his head. He plays his confrontation with Sonya in his minded, for the the... He doesn't know he lost count on the five hunderd and twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty seventh time, and that was on day one. How did it end this badly, what could he have done to have saved his sister? No dark side user has ever come back to the light. Kanan checked his holochrom all last night searching for any possible way, at Ezra's request. Kanan had looked so sad when he told Ezra he had not found anything. D was different. She had a brush with the dark side, but had gotten out before she fell. Sonya... He turns Mr. Ton Ton in his right hand. He remembers a part of what Sunny had said during the fight.

Mr. Ton Ton slips from his hand, falling on to his face. His mother's stories. Her knowledge of the powers they had. Sunny's excitement at the learning of the source of the powers. The shoto.

_A truly amazing Jedi._

His mother was a Jedi.

Air. He needs fresh air. He rips out the IV, disconnects himself from the heart monitor and gets up. The nurse rushes in panicked looking. "I can't stay in this room another second." Ezra says fast on the off chance she agrees.

"You've been through major trauma you shouldn-" Ezra rolls his eyes and is in the vents before she finished her sentence. He crawls through the vents, drops out, goes to a lift and after a while, he finds himself sitting on the mountain that had been hollowed out for mining a long time ago and now serves as the rebel base. He sits there on a rock looking over the hundreds of miles of mountains and forest. There are few forests on Lothal, all of which Ezra had seen in his roaming over the surface before he settled into the tower. They are small and thin. Nothing like this. Growing up, he never thought he would have a chance to see something like this.

"Hey," D walks over and sits next to him. "The Force seem to really want me to talk to you. That annoying tug and this view wouldn't leave me alone." D doesn't expect him to talk. And for a moment he doesn't expect anything either.

But, it apart of him that has nothing to do with the Force, wants to talk to her, to apologize for being a jerk. "Sound."

"Pardon?" D looks at him, half surprised at getting an answer, half confused at the answer.

"I hear the Force. When it directs me I hear a sound. I can still feel it and those two mix together sometime, but sound is my most natural way of feeling the Force. When I lived on the street, I thought I was just hearing things on the Wind." Ezra tries to explain. "Kanan said that the Force interacts slightly different to each of us and our senses because we are all a little different..."

"That's cool. You are lucky to have someone to teach you. No one on my crew gets it at all. The Force was telling me to find something the other day. Willy told me it could 'Take a number.""

Ezra just shakes his head, "I doesn't work like that."

"I know." D chuckles. "But none of them has even met another Force-sensitive." D picks up a pine cone and chucks it over the cliff. "Can I ask you something? Besides that I mean."

"Let me guess, why have I been such a jerk?" Ezra sighs, burying his face into his hands.

"Yeah, why?" D asks.

"I suppose I do owe you an explanation." Ezra sighs, leaning forward. "You can't tell anyone. Ahsoka, my crew, Dr. Arlo, and Alexi are the only people who know. I don't want it getting around."

"I solemnly swear, not to tell a soul without your permission." She raise her right hand.

"Not your crew?" Ezra looks her in the eye.

"Not my crew." D nods. And Ezra believes her.

"The new inquisitor after us... She's my sister." D's reaction is predictable, as the others had the same reaction, however she quickly schools it away. "It's just a lot." Ezra sighs trying to think of the next words, "And whenever I saw you, I couldn't help asking myself why couldn't you be her... I still do ask myself that." Ezra chucks a pine cone over the edge. "It not fair for you."

"No it isn't." D agrees. Ezra chucks another pine cone over the cliff.

"I just... I just..." Ezra takes another pine cone and throws it as hard as he can.

"Need something to blame." D sighs, DABDA is a pain.

"If only I could go back in time... Maybe I could have stopped her." Ezra is throwing pine cones off the mountain as fast as he can now. D stands and puts her hand over his. He pauses looking into her brown eyes.

"What could you have done?" D asks in a truly curious way.

"Something. I could have done something." Ezra says, pain etched into each word.

"That's not an answer," D says, not sounding impressed.

Ezra looks down to the ground. "I hesitated. She didn't hesitate. She ran to our house surrounded by bucket heads. Tseebo grabbed me before I could go after her. If I had been with her-"

"You'd have been captured too." D raise, his head to look at her. She's an inch or two taller than him she notes. "And where would that leave you and her. Only broken faster. Besides had you not hesitated, you never would have met the Ghost Cell." Ezra collapses into her arms. the force of his weight, makes D have to lower them to the ground. She makes mental note to change shirts when she gets back to the _Phoenix_ as the idea of wearing a handkerchief grosses her out.

Ezra eventually calms down enough to stand, his voice is horse, "Thank you..." He lightly tosses the pine cone in his hand over the edge. The sun was beginning to edge it way to kiss the horizon, painting everything in yellows. He stares at the view. His world is tumbling apart, yet everything remains the same. This hunk of rock still revolves around its sun. Kids still skip off to school. There are still those suffering.

He sighs, everyone always talks about having a life changing event, yet no one talks about how to deal with it after. Things he thought he knew are wrong, and he doesn't know where to go.

"You did do something." D says. Ezra looks at her, she's staring off at the distance too. Then she turns her head to him. "You survived. And that is quite a feat."

Ezra smiles, "I should get inside. Kanan is not going to be happy with my jail break." He turns and makes it ten feet when a pine cone flies out of nowhere and hits him square in the head.

Ezra turns. D is smirking, "That's for ignoring me, Padawan." Ezra lets out a laugh and throw one right back at her, earning a laugh from her. Somehow they find themselves in a pine cone fight, until D nearly beams Kanan with one. Kanan wanted to scold both of them, but the words were lost it his throat. For the first time Kanan has heard, his padawan is laughing.

**See you next Friday. Please favorite, follow or review, it really means a lot to me. Big thanks to Delta General 42, HorseMagic17, and Wildheart75 for favoriting Ner Vod. Thank you to HorseMagic17 and Wildheart75 for following it as well. Thank you to Paint the Wolf, UnfathomableFandoms (awesome penname!), and AzulaBlue92 for reviewing. And last but certainly not least, thank you Blommar for favoriting, following and reviewing. You deserve a big ****ありがとうございました *****Bows*. Thank you all for the support.**


	3. Chapter 3: A Sister's Tears

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Perky as can be. Yeah, that's about all I have to say. Oh, except for one thing. Delta General 42, I am not saying this to be rude or anything, but I kind of already had him find his mother's lightsaber. Where do you think he go the shoto? If you're interested, I can and will include a flashback, eventually. Anyway, ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! IT OWNS TO THE MAGESTIC AND MAGICAL MICKEY MOUSE!** **I apologize for errors, delays, and long-winded author notes.**

Sonya Yon rubs her neck, sore from the choke hold Lord Vader had inflicted on her. Failure. It could not happen again... But that dang rebel in her wanted it to, badly. She smashes that little bit down with all the will she can muster. She holds her head up high as she exits the room. She will not give into the desire to cower in front of Lord Vader. For maybe if she can fool the other officers in the room, she can fool herself as well. Not Lord Vader though, never Lord Vader. No one can hide any emotion in his presence.

She marches down the hall. The stormtroopers, though they try to hide it, give her as much room as she can. Scaring people, that is what her master taught her. In this world, where few are kind, you have to make them think you're a threat, because they are threats to you. It is her mask and, if she is honest, it makes her the second most feared person on this ship, third if Tarken is on the ship. Sonya didn't know how a man in his age could be scarier than the Tin Can, but he is. Might be his ruthlessness. He had Force inhibiter injected in to her and locked up tight with probably a threat of death, if her master didn't kill those poor officers on Lothal and capture the Jedi Kanan Jarrus. Clearly, it hadn't been much of a choice for her master. Still, Sonya knows how much her master did not enjoy killing those loyal to the empire even if they were fools.

Sonya slides into her room, with a sigh. She rubs her face. Her brother, a padawan. In the past forty-eight hours she really hasn't had time, between paperwork (Forget the Dark Side, the bureaucracy was the real evil of the Empire) to the reprimand she had been receiving, to process that lovely little piece of information. Sonya sighs, she shouldn't be surprised. She had a vision of an older Ezra and some blonde haired guy fighting with lightsabers sometime oh... last year. Of course, she hadn't realized it was him and she hadn't paid much mind as her master had had to leave for Lothal the next day. She still had no clue who the blonde guy with the green lightsaber was, though. Ezra would have... will... If Ezra lives long enough, he'll make an amazing Jedi, of that Sonya has no doubt. His powers are at least on par, if not greater than hers. She had known that as a child, and often had to distract others from the floating rocks or sudden movements of object that Ezra didn't realize he was moving. He had the heart too, breaking up numerous playground fights.

Sleep, Sonya orders herself. It's not like this won't be here in the morning. She sighs undoing her braids, going to her desk. Fingering an ornately carved box, from Naboo she thinks, a box own by the former Queen Amidala. She opens it, revealing an assortment of things. Her treasures.

A small wooden charm with an ancient Jedi symbol on it, a gift from her mother for the last birthday she had a family. It came with the promise of being trained as a Jedi.

A hairpin with a colorful insect on it, a parting gift from the girl who she escape the training facility. Dhara, if Sonya remembers correctly. New and unbroken, that was the only reason she helped her. Though Sonya doubts Dhara even remembers her name, the breaking process can be quite nasty, Sonya knows having seen most of it. Memory suppression isn't uncommon, fighting after losing all their memories is, though. And fight Dhara did.

A small book filled with pressed lavanda, a pleasant smelling purple bush flower. Her favorite flower. Her master would often get her a stem of it when he was going away or coming back. It made her happy, she remembered her neighbor would have big pots of the stuff. She kept ever stem.

She reached for the last treasure, a golden hair brush encrusted with emeralds, a birthday gift from the closest thing she had to a friend, Mara, a dark hand, who picked it up in a mid-rim system. Sonya had a strong suspicion that it belonged to the out-spoken late princess of that system, who turned up dead at her vanity around the same time, after Mara had a mission there.

Sonya brushes the knots out of her hair. With a sigh, she sets the brush away. She glances at the clock on the white wash walls and groans, 2:00. She had to be up and dressed in uniform at 5:00. The damn officers don't care how late she was up being punished, only that she is up a 5:00.

Sonya kicks of her boots and collapse into the bed, not even bothering to change out of her clothes. "It's not like they can do any...thing... on... their...own..." Sonya is out cold. She is grateful, the nightmares leave her alone for once. Not that she isn't used to them.

* * *

Sonya stands tall in the tight overly claustrophobic grey imperial uniform of commanders. She cursed the designer to an abysmal fate at the end of her lightsaber for such stiff uniforms. She thinks her master only got out of it because he was less intimidating in it. As it was she is grateful she only needs to wear it when her superior is present. She has popped the shoulder seam twice just by crossing her arms for love's sake. Ignoring her discomfort, she stands at attention looking forward. As had been beaten in to her at the training grounds of force sensitives for the empire.

"Your new master should arrive soon," Lord Vader says. There had been quite a lot of trouble finding a replacement for her master. There is a shortage of fully trained adult Inquisitors. And her officers just loved taking orders from a fifteen year old girl.

"Am I stepping over my bounds by requesting to know which of my former teachers will be my new Master?" Sonya plays her voice aloft and uncaring. She really honestly didn't. But surviving means knowing who you're up against and what the players are.

"Inquisitor Barriss Offee." The Sith Lord states.

Sonya's eyes widen, "I am surprised, Lord Vader. Does that not go against Protocol 7?"

"Does it? That will not be a problem, will it? It has been a challenge finding a... replacement for Inquisitor Ka'un," Lord Vader is challenging her, Sonya realizes. He knows full well it does. He can feel her rage and hatred of the woman. The inquisitor that was sent for her mother and instead found her. Oh, Sonya's most pleasant dream is of her sticking her lightsabers into Barrass's back.

Back down immediately, she can her master's voice. Commanding her. She listens, "Not at all, Lord Vader." Sonya lowers her head.

"Inquisitor Offee will join you as soon as she can. Until then, I expect you to continue hunting this Jedi and padawan. And I expect results, Apprentice Yon." Lord Vader says.

"Yes sir," Sonya nods. Sonya knows that she... intimidating. But, Lord Vader made her look as intimidating as a tooka. And all without a single facial expression.

"Should your failure persist, you will find I am not a forgiving person." Lord Vader says, standing. This meeting is over.

"Yes, Lord Vader." Sonya says, her voice authoritative yet subordinative at once, perfect for her position. With her master gone and Offee not arriving, she is the inquisitor of this case. That means she is now in higher position than the officer that had more expression than she is old. She could sense their resentment. Sonya bows as he exits. He is scheduled to depart later today, to continue his search for the rebels. For that, she is grateful. She sits down and sighs, eye closed.

Her mind goes where she knows it shouldn't. Ezra... He has grown up so well... He is really looking so much like their father... His father... Could she really call herself a Bridger after all she's done?

Someone enters the room, it's not one of her officers or Lord Vader so she doesn't bother getting up. "Ma'am?"

She groans internally. "What?" She snaps, sending him a death glare. It doesn't seem to faze the stormtrooper. For that, she will admit some impressiveness, especially considering he hasn't been out of the academy a month from his armors condition. That would make him seventeen or so.

"Would you like me to bring you breakfast, Ma'am?" He asks.

"No, I must be heading to the bridge." Sonya stands, turning to gather the meeting's data-pads

"Ma'am, after all that has happened in the last few days, I think it would be detrimental to your health to go without breakfast." The stormtrooper insists, an insistence far too above his station.

"What do you know of the past few days?!" Sonya snaps at him. He couldn't know about Ezra.

"Only what I observed, Ma'am," He keeps calm. "I don't believe you've had a chance to sleep or eat since the debacle. I can't imagine being in your position."

"Your concern is noted and unneeded," Sonya crosses her arms, but stops as she feels the seam begin to tug. She goes to walk past him, but stops, "You overstep your bounds. You'd do well not to let it happen again. No one on this ship is particularly forgiving."

"Not even you...Ma'am," He says.

"Especially not me." Sonya smirks, heading to the bridge. He seemed nice. He'd be afraid of her by the end of the week.

* * *

"Captain Wilno. Is there a problem?" Sonya says, not even turning her head to the captain of the ship, still in the damn uniform. Captain Wilno is a man of forty five. Stern and prideful, a hard worker. He is glaring at her.

"No Ma'am," He answers respectively, as required.

"Then why are we not in hyperspace yet?" Her voice cold and harsh.

"Lord Vader barely left fifteen minutes ago." Captain Wilno reports.

"I am well aware of that." Sonya says, grateful that black hole is gone. The non-force sensitive think he's terrifying not knowing what he can do. But Lord Vader is one of the few things that increasing the knowledge of, increases fear rather that decrease. "Had I not ordered us to be prepared to embark to Lothal as soon as he left?"

"Yes Ma'am," Captain Wilno gulps.

"And are we not prepared to leave, now that Lord Vader has left?" Sonya asks again.

"No, Ma'am," He says after a moment of hesitation. "But-" She cut off him off with a raise of her hand. She closes her hand into a fist, cutting off his air way in a force choke. Breath and count to forty, Sonya tells herself.

He squirms like the worm he is. Thirty-nine. Forty. She releases him, dropping him to the floor. She turns to him, tucking her arm behind her back. "You may be the captain of this vessel, however I am your superior. I will remain your superior even after Inquisitor Offee arrives. Ignoring an order from me is treason to the Empire. Should this occur again, I will not hesitate to dispose of you as a traitor." She glares down at him. He looks up to her. She is bluffing completely, but she knows he doesn't know that. And he needed a reminder of just how terrifying she is. "Now we leave for Lothal in fifteen minutes. Should we not be, well I'll leave that to your imagination." She smirks. Captain Wilno scrambles up and starts shouting orders.

Sonya mumbles, "That's what I thought." Within three minutes, the familiar streaks of hyperspace. "Alert me once we are within thirty minutes of Lothal"

"Yes, Ma'am." The captain solutes. She walks out and heads to the training center of the ship. She has the overwhelming desire to destroy something.

Lothal. Her home. The place she hasn't been once since she was seven. Even when her Master was assigned to go to Lothal, she had been required to stay at the training station, having her lessons via hologram. That's because of Protocol 8: An apprentice is not allowed back to their home planet. That got put into place after the fifth escape attempt was killed in a front of everyone as an example.

Inquisitor Offee. By any normal circumstance, Sonya wouldn't have to deal with her until she is an inquisitor, due to Protocol 7: If a youngling is taken away from their family, as oppose to recruited, they are not apprenticed to the Inquisitor that brought them in. The younglings have a nasty habit of developing a deep-seated hatred of that inquisitor, and, while hatred is necessary for use of the dark side, it has been deemed as disadvantageous to a working relations. Only regular inquisitors were expected to suck it up.

Ezra. Her brother. Her best friend. And it would seem her greatest enemy. The Force has a wicked sense of humor. Sonya had to admit, with as much pain as this is going to cause her in the coming days, it is almost poetic. Like something the great writers created, and lesser writers copy. She wouldn't be able to kill him, not now anyway. She doubted he would either. So, what did that leave them? Ezra, while he does have a dark side within him, he can control it, resist it. Sonya is buried in it. Would they forever be forced to fight?

She arrives at the training room. It's a large grey box, with some benches by the door and automatic blasters coming out of the ceiling. She sheds the imperial uniform, and tosses it on to a bench. She trains alone, now. No, helpful hints given in a cold voice hiding a fondness from everyone. No remarks about letting her real confidence go to her head, yet pride in her abilities hidden in his Force presence when she accomplished some new move. Her master is gone... And she is alone, now. No late night sparring. No stems of lavada after months of being stuck on a ship.

"Battle of Geneosis." Sonya states. Several hundred blue dots land on her skin, to track her movement. "Enemy: The Separatist." The room turns blue creating a holographic version of the stadium that the Battle occurred in. The Separatist Battle droids and Jedi appear frozen as they rush to each other. Sonya takes out her lightsabers and activates them. "Weapon: Lightsaber." The dots move over her lightsaber, getting lost in the red glow of the blades. "Begin." Sonya immediate dodges a real blast from one of the automatic blaster oriented to be coming from a droid's blaster. She deflects another three, sending them back through holograms of droids. Those holograms vanish as the blasts go through them, the blasts disappear through the holograms of other droids.

Sonya starts twirling her lightsabers with slight flicks of her wrist, creating two fast moving circles besides her. She strikes out against a group of holo-droids, which vanish as soon as she touches them. She flips, stopping the twirling. Landing in the middle of a group of droids, she spins 370 degrees, destroying all the droids. She has to stop her own carnage to go on the defense as a group of droids concentrate their fire on her. She deflects the blots back to the droids. All but three are destroyed by deflection. Two are cut down by her blades. The last one is too close. She flicks her lightsabers off and flicks them around, using them as clubs. She slams the hilt of one at the blaster while side stepping. She slams her other lightsaber into the battle droid, sending it to the ground. She ignites the lightsaber into it. She spins around, slashing at three more droids. She turns herself over to her rage and pain, all increased exponentially over the last few months. After fifteen minutes, the battle recording ends. Sonya is sweaty and sleep deprived. She turns off her lightsabers, breathing heavily. After a moment to calm her breath, she sighs, tucking her sabers away. She wishes she had brought a towel.

She goes over to get her accursed jacket. She goes to pick up the jacket, but stops. A tray of food, a couple of protein bar and a bottle of water, has been placed next to the jacket, along with a hand towel. She raises an eyebrow, picking up the towel. With a flick, she unfolded it and wipes off her forehead and arms. She looks at the bottle of water closely, it is sealed. "Well if someone wishes to poison me, it's not like I have much to live for anyway," She opens the bottle and downs it in on gulp. She looks at the protein bars, remembering the young stormtrooper. "Bold move. He is lucky I didn't get his identification number." After a moment, she realizes how hungry she feels and the slight light headedness twinging at her mind. "He's lucky I'm hungry." She take one and chomps one down and then another. She sits down on the bench, and lets her head hit the wall. She glances at the hole in the floor, from the droid that got too close.

* * *

_ She flings her new lightsaber at her new master. The eleven year old has been his apprentice a whole two months. She guessed she had impressed him into being willing to be her master by not being afraid of him when he taught at the training center. Her tenacity was also impressive. But she also knew he had come to doubted her in those two months. But she had been broken for six months since that rescued mission failed... Cause of that she is broken well and good._

_ He dodges easily, unamused. He attacks her. She dodges, flipping over to her lightsaber, imbedded in the wall. She tries pull it out. It won't budge. He is coming. She tries again. A red blade appears at her neck. She turns to face the Pa'un, who is glaring at her. "It's stuck." She says, sheepishly._

_ "If I so desired, you would be in a bloody corpse on the floor." He does not lower the lightsaber. He doesn't see the girl he thought he was getting as an apprentice. _

_ "So? There are some things far worse than death." She says, trying to pull her lightsaber again._

_ "Really? Like what?" The Pa'un asks, he is judging her._

_ She braces against the wall and pulls, "Life. Caring. Plenty of things." She grunts, "May I have a hand, Master?"_

_ He looks unimpressed, "You got it in there. You get it out." He turns off his lightsaber. "Stay here until you get you lightsaber out." He walks out of the room._

_ She pulls at it harder, again and again. After a few hours she gives up getting it out that way. She starts trying to use the Force to get it out. She is hunger. Dinner is long since over. She continues through the ships night. Still nothing. Letting loose a string of words she would never dare have said in front of her mother, she pulls it again. "What is going on? It's a tube. Even with the handle, it shouldn't be this hard!" She focuses on to the lightsaber again. _

_ Her master is late for their scheduled training. And, given the lightsaber is still in the wall, that is probably a good thing. After another hour, her master walks in. He looks around, seeming doubtful. He spots her and, for once, is caught off guard. "Now, may I have a hand?" Sonya sighs, gripping it with her hands and pulling. Her head is splitting._

_ "What are you doing?" He seems legitimately surprised, like he expected her to have given up or got it out by now._

_ "I would think it's obvious." Sonya pulls again. "Look, I am tired, hungry and sleep deprived. I'm about to become very snarky." Suddenly the lightsaber comes loose, too fast. The saber hits her in the head._

_ She opens her eyes, and sees the ceiling. Her head hurts like a bomb went off in it. She's on the floor. She sits up, "What happened?" She asks not expecting any response._

_ "You knocked yourself out," Her master's voice startles her. Her head snaps to him. _

_ She smirks, deciding to play with his mind, "Good."_

_ "How is that 'good'?" Her master asks, Sonya feels a tinge of confusion._

_ "If I can cause this much harm to myself by accident, then imagine what I can do to my enemies on purpose." Sonya whispers, but he hears them. Her master is truly surprised by her words, and decide to make a teaching moment._

_ "Destruction alone does not bread fear, the most useful tool to an inquisitor." Her master states._

_ Sonya catches on immediately, "Then I will let him know I hunt them, that there is nothing they can do, then I'll relieve them of their fear." Sonya stands, she thinks for a moment. "May I learn dual wielding? That will lead to much fear."_

_ "Let's work on you normal wielding first. And that throw of yours." Her master says, with a smirk._

_ "Yes Master," Sonya gets into a fighting stance._

* * *

Sonya sighs. She looks away. She thinks sadly, that she is glad that her lightsaber didn't get stuck this time. She feels something on her cheek. Her hand touches the weird spot that starts at her eye. She feels water. That's weird. Sonya hasn't cried since she was broken, since Offee broke her. It's, in a twisted way, funny. Sonya doesn't know why, but she wants to laugh and cry.

**Hey! I'd like to remind you to review, favorite, or follow. It really helps and brings a great warm feeling in my chest. Thank you so much for reviewing, Delta General 42 and Gu3st123. Thank you ezraSWrebels and Maximus for both favoriting and follow. Thank you, Berna45, for favoriting. Thank you Dragon-Wolf-Mustang Rider for following. Thank you all for taking the time to read this fanfiction.**


	4. Chapter 4: A Master's Guide

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Happy May Day! Sorry for the delay, I had a midterm today and couldn't edit this chapter because of it. But hey, it's here and I got to put a ridiculous moment from Kanan's childhood so that was fun. If you don't think that he'd do something like this or that it not important, tough. It wasn't supposed to be, it was entertaining for the characters in the story. And with what they are going through they need it. Any who, ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! IT BELONGS TO SOMETHING OF GREATER POWER THAN THE FORCE; THE MOUSE!**** I apologize for delays, errors, and annoyingly long winded author's notes.**

* * *

Kanan sighs, coming out of meditation. He feels lost, and not for himself. He is at a lost as to what to do to help Ezra. The pain and sorrow Kanan feels through the Force is astounding. Forget light side and dark side, just moving forward from this pain is almost unimaginable. How can he help his padawan? How can he guide him through this? He not for the first time wishes to be able to ask someone, his Master, Jedi Knight Akatsukin, or even Zara. Though he doubts they'd be much help. Jedi never really faced this issue.

Not because they didn't have people they viewed as siblings. While Jedi had rules against attachment, many Jedi did form sibling-like bonds with other padawans or younglings as they trained. It wasn't encouraged but it was accepted as long as no one spoke about it. Though most Jedi were generally able to spot it within a few minutes of watching the two in question interact. In fact, Caleb Dume had a sibling-esc relationship with Zara DeLune. It was fighting that sibling figure, really fighting, that was unheard of.

Yes, if a Jedi fell to the dark side, then the sibling-figure is still expected to treat them as an enemy. But in actuality, most Jedi would do whatever they could to prevent the two from actually fighting, including the siblings.

Yet, he couldn't do that for his padawan. Sonya is going to hunt them. She and Ezra are going to clash. The only question is when. And how much damage would be left in its wake.

The memory of the girl standing over his padawan, unconscious. The panic and fear Kanan had felt from Ezra just moments before, then seeing Ezra had made it seem like he was already dead. The look of utter hatred in her eyes when she looks up at him. Then she ran.

His own sister cut off his hand... Kanan sighs, leaning his head into his hand. "There are no coincidences..." He whispers. _Then what does that mean for Sunny and me?_ Ezra's voice rings in his head. "I don't know," He admits now as he did then. But it means something. Just because of everything. Two children, both powerful in the Force, though time has yet to tell how powerful, raised as siblings, then torn apart and force to be enemies.

He got out his holocrom. He opens it and begins searching for anything. Two hours later, and ten thousand years of condensed history, later and still nothing. Maybe if he had access to archive he could find some forgotten cases. He just needs one. Maybe that would give Ezra enough hope to get out of the funk he is in, to move forward and get stronger. Like Ezra always does. But nothing, not one case of a fallen Jedi returning to the light side. There had to be one, right? Someone had strong enough to break through the dark side. Unless it's not about strength. He continues on, until nothing is left.

"That can't be it." Kanan says, surprised. But he checks again, and it is. His search has been fruitless. He let out a groan. How can he tell Ezra?

* * *

Ezra smiles at something Sabine says. But Kanan can feel it's more to make her happy than any joy he has or forgetting the issue of Sonya. Kanan knows Hera can tell as well. Ezra's eye don't sparkle like they normally when he smile. In fact, Ezra's whole demeanor had seems a lot sicker since waking up. He is paler than normal. His hair, normally so vibrant that his black hair had blue highlights, is dull and limp against his for head. Ezra is propped up on the bed, another sign something is not right with his padawan. With the amount of energy his padawan normally had, Ezra should be able to sit up on his own. Heck, they should be struggling to keep Ezra in bed. The fact that they weren't, worried Dr. Arlo and Alexi. Hence, the reason why they kept Ezra in the Medical Ward for observation since he woke up two days ago. That and the fact he lost his arm four days ago and, even after a year on the _Ghost,_ he is still ten pounds underweight.

A timer went off. Everyone looks to Hera, who is turning off the timer. "We need to go for a mission briefing." Hera says.

"Any chances of I can come?" Ezra asks, though his voice indicates he already knows the answer.

"What are the chances of Mustafar getting as cold as Hoth? Your chances are a few degrees lower than that." Hera says, going to the door.

"What did you expect?" Sabine smirks, getting up.

"That. I expected that." Ezra smiles, weakly.

"Yeah, well, wait till the Doc clears you for missions, till you ask again." Zeb says. They go to the door and head out.

"Kanan!" Ezra calls, before he leaves the room. Hera pats Kanan on the shoulder.

"Yeah, kid." Kanan gives a reassuring smile.

"If it's not too much trouble, after the mission, could you check the holocrom for instances of a dark side user returning to the light side?" Ezra asks, rubbing the back of his head with his left hand, freezing momentarily as feels the metal through the cloth of the bright orange glove. "Or I could look myself?"

"I'll look, Kid." Kanan nods, keeping the reassuring smile plastered on his face. Inside, he is filled with worry, not knowing what to say.

"Thank you. Hey, don't you have a mission to go on." Ezra sighs.

"Right, right. See you soon." Kanan says heading out the door.

"You had better." Ezra sighs, worrying for his crew. This is going to be a long head-ache-from-worrying inducing few hours.

* * *

Kanan sighs for the umpteenth time as he sits in the cockpit. The mission went about as well as they normally did, maybe a little worse since Zeb got clipped with blast and they had to take more time than normal since their resident vent crawler is out of commission. But the factory was destroyed and now they are heading back to the base. And towards having to tell Ezra he found nothing. They should be back early tomorrow.

"Alright spill." Hera's voice orders him.

He looks over at her, "What?"

"The sighing? Seriously, the mission went well. What's with the sighing?" Hera asks, flicking the autopilot on and turning to face him. "These last few days have been insane and painful and a lot of other stuff. But getting upset isn't going to help."

"I know." Kanan sighs again.

"So?" Hera prompts.

"Ezra asked me to look into dark side users returning to the light..." Kanan says.

Hera nods, "Shouldn't you be looking then?"

"I already did. Before he even asked. There is nothing in my holocrom. And I mean nothing. I must have spent hours poring over it, but nothing. I actually went through the entire thing. Nothing. How am I going to tell Ezra?"

"Maybe now's not the best time to tell him, Love." Hera sigh, thinking very carefully about how to say what she is suggesting. "I'm not say lie, but say you're still looking. Which I know you still are. I still haven't told him about what Tseebo told me about his parents because there hasn't been a good time to sit down and discuss it. And that's good news. With his health as unstable as it is right now, it could do more harm than good." There is sense in what she saying, Kanan recognize. But it doesn't sit well with him. A few months ago, Kanan wouldn't have doubted Hera's reasoning. He still see it as sound, but he can't see him doing it. It takes a few minutes of silence but he realizes why. Hera's treating Ezra as kid, and Ezra really isn't that much of a kid anymore and hasn't been one for a while. He has grown so much in the past year. And so has Kanan, into a Jedi and a teacher.

Kanan shakes his head, "Ezra has difficulty trusting, but he has overcome that. For me to hide something, especially after this thing with his sister, it will hurt him more than the truth."

Hera seems slightly take back, before smiling, with a nod, "Alright. I may not agree to with it, but you're his master. I'll trust you judgement." Hera takes a deep breath. "You've gotten a lot more confident in your teaching ability. Last year, you were so hesitant to teach him, so doubtful. Now, it's like breathing for both of you."

Kanan lets out a breath-like chuckle, "The kid's a good student and has a natural connection to the Force."

"It's not that." Hera shakes her head, "I don't think you would have been able to train anyone else as well as him. Nor do I think Ezra would have learned as well under any other master. You two are good together."

"I know." Kanan smiles, leaning back.

"So what are you going to tell Ezra?" Hera asks.

"Not a clue." Kanan shakes his head. Hera shakes her head.

* * *

_Zara sighs surveying the "damage". Jedi aren't supposed to feel emotion, yet this is hysterical. She spies Master Yoda, he looks like he is holding back a chuckle. Master Bililara has her face buried in her hands, yet Zara could see a small smile on her lips "You have got to tell them." Zara scolds gently. "Caleb, really? They are going to find out. They are going to find out, SOON. They are going to be madder if you hide."_

_ "But getting in trouble now will only hurt my chance of becoming a padawan." Caleb is close to tears. Zara rolls at the boy four years her junior. Why does she hang out with him? A Jedi should not form attachments. Granted, she is already pretty attached to her master... and her mother. But no one, not even this sweet curious young boy, could know that his master hand introduced them two years ago. Are love and attachment the same thing? She gently reminds herself that philosophy questions can wait._

_ "How did you fill the entire boys' dorm with bubbles?" Zara could not keep a straight face saying that. What was going through his mind? How did he even do it?_

_ "I wanted to know how much bubbles a single bottle of the laundry detergent could make..." Caleb sighs. Zara nearly laughs at the twelve years old._

_ "Really a single bottle? I know that stuff is concentrated but this seems a little extreme." Zara says, doubtfully._

_ "Then the younglings saw and wanted to play. They looked so happy, playing with the bubbles. I thought more bubbles would make them happier." Caleb further admits._

_ "They have a saying in the outer rim, curiosity killed the Loth-cat. You'd do well to mind you curiosity in the future." Zara says. "Now, I believe you have something you wish to tell the masters?"_

_ Caleb sighs in defeat, "Yes, I do." Caleb looks over to the masters. "Who's the woman with the jewel in her for head?"_

_ Zara looks over the unfamiliar woman, searching for information she has gleamed. "That is Master Depa Billaba. I believe she was in some sort of coma for a while. I think she was trained by Master... Windu..." Caleb nods and sighs, as they starts walking over to the masters._

_ "What I don't understand is how they got here." Master Billaba says, gesturing to the mass of bubbles._

_ "I think, I may have an idea, Masters." Zara says, barely containing her laughter, as she pushed Caleb forward._

_ Caleb takes a deep breath and starts bowing and frantically apologizing. It takes Master Yoda a good ten minutes to calm him down enough for Caleb to tell them what happened. He received scolding from four of the five masters present. Master Billaba is silent throughout._

_ Finally, the masters need to agree on a punishment. Master Billaba steps forward, "Why not have him be on the cleaning crew who deals with this?" She gestures to the dorm. "That seems like a fair punishment." The other masters agree. "Padawan DeLune." Master Billaba turns to Zara._

_ "Master," Zara acknowledges._

_ "Would you mind taking Caleb Dume to the janitorial station and explain his punishment?" Master Billaba asks._

_ "No Master." Zara bows, leading Caleb off. She whispers "That wasn't so bad."_

_ After a moment, Master Billaba turns to the other masters and says, "One good thing came out of this, I do not think the boys dormitory has smelt this good in a decade. Possibly more." The other masters chuckle, before breaking away. Master Billaba, however, calls out, "Master Yoda, might I have a word?"_

_ "What is it, you wish to say, Billaba." Master Yoda stops._

_ "It's more of what I wish to know, Master. What can you tell me of the youngling, Caleb?" Master Billaba asks._

_ "A brilliant strategist, he is." Master Yoda starts._

* * *

Kanan sighs, remembering the first time he met his master as he sits in his cabin. A good introduction it was not, but looking back it certainly was entertaining. He has been scanning his memories for an instance where his master had to give him bad news, really bad news, but none really came to mind. In fact, the three instances of bad news that stand out have Zara being the bearer of bad news. The first one being what had become known as the Bubble incident among his friends. The next was after Zara had failed her trials and that she and Master Akatsukin were going to be traveling to a far off sparsely populated planet. It was only later that he found out Zara purposely failed her trials so that her master could hide her pregnancy. Kanan supposed that is the will of the Force, because as they were not near any clone troopers or where they were technically supposed to be, they survived the initial attack of Order 66. The third was Zara telling him that all of them couldn't travel together in the wake of Order 66. He understood why quickly, but he didn't like it.

All times Zara had been upfront and truthful. But that would hurt Ezra... Not as much as tap dancing around it. So, why is he so hesitant? Kanan realizes, that he doesn't want to tell Ezra, because he feels like he failed his padawan. So, he is going to have to tell Ezra. Wonderful.

Kanan gets up and returns to the cockpit. Hera is looking at something in her hand. "What've you got there?" Kanan asks taking his seat.

"Find anything?" Hera asks as Kanan had left to check to holochrom for a third time a few hours ago.

"Nothing." Kanan sighs. He jesters to what he now can see is a small stuffed Tooka.

"It's Ezra's. I guess he was too embarrassed to ask one of us to get it." Hera smiles. "But D seemed to be able to sense that he wanted it."

"The Force sensitive in the Phoenix Cell?" Kanan raises an eyebrow.

"Yep, Alexi asked her to talk to him." Hera smiles checking some readouts, "We'll be coming out of hyperspace soon. You should probably get some sleep."

"Is anyone sleeping? Besides Zeb, who is sleeping in the common area again by the way." Kanan sighs.

"I know. Ezra's getting hurt has really been hard on everyone. For all his complaining, I don't think Zeb's spent one night in his cabin since what happened. Chopper hasn't pulled any pranks, either." Hera sighs.

"And Sabine hasn't spray painted anything in her room." Kanan tacks on. Then looks over to Hera, "You haven't been sleeping well."

"Neither have you." Hera says turning to the windshield. They sit quietly for the remaining trip. As they land, they are greeted by Ahsoka. Kanan and Hera meet her on the ramp.

"How was it?" Ahsoka says.

Kanan yawns, "The factory was destroyed. Zeb got clipped, but it was nothing that couldn't be treated on ship."

Ahsoka nods, "Keep up the good work. Get some rest." Ahsoka turns to leave but before going, "Try and get some rest."

"I'm going to check on Ezra before I get some sleep." Kanan tells Hera.

Hera raises an eyebrow, "You think I'm not?'

Kanan shakes his head, "Right, right." They proceed to the medical ward. The halls are quiet, everyone sleeping on their ships and would be for another two hours. The first being they encounter is the night nurse in the medical ward. "Hello," Kanan greets warmly. "Do you think we could check on Ezra?"

"Normally, the answer would be no. Patients need to rest." The nurse says, through a yawn.

"Well, be quiet." Hera says, trying to reassure the nurse that they won't disturb him.

The nurse holds up her hands, "However, given the fact that Ezra is going to be up within five minutes anyway, I don't see the harm."

Kanan is slightly taken back, "What do you mean?" Did they need to wake Ezra for some reason? Was it due to the concussion he suffered?

"Ezra hasn't been getting more than one hour of sleep at a time." The nurse informs them.

Ezra's voice starts coming through a com on the desk. "fault... No... please..." The please comes through as begging.

"Right on schedule." The nurse mumbles before getting up. "You can set your watch by it." She leads them to Ward 4. "It's difficult to... I wouldn't say calm down, but he cuts himself off. I'm not doing a good job explaining it. He doesn't mention nightmares when he is on the ship, does he?" Both Hera and Kanan shake their heads. "That isn't surprising, with what I've seen, anyway." The door opens and they see Ezra thrashing about, as if his blanket is trying to strangle him.

"No...No...Sonya! Don't go! SONYA!" Ezra jackknifes up into a sitting position. After half a moment, he collapse back unable to hold himself up anymore, breathing heavily. Exhaustion beats down on his forehead, a tear slides down his cheek.

"Are you feeling okay?" The nurse asks, though she is looking at Kanan and Hera, as if saying 'wait for it'.

"I'm fine." Ezra says, though his voice is shaking and very clearly not fine. He hasn't even noticed Hera and Kanan

The nurse sighs, turning to Hera and Kanan, "You have five minutes."

Ezra looks up and smiles. He reaches the remotes and raise the bed to a sitting position "Hey. How was the mission?"

Kanan smiles, walks over and sits on the edge, "Well, but it would have gone better if we had our full team."

"Sorry," Ezra winces.

"Hey, we just want you to recover." Hera sits on the other side. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" Ezra ask, genuinely confused.

"That nightmare." Hera clarifies.

"I didn't have a nightmare..." Ezra says, trying to lie but seeing the looks on Kanan and Hera's face. "I was talking in my sleep wasn't I?"

"Try screaming and thrashing." Kanan says.

"Sorry, I'm normally better at dealing with nightmares than this." Ezra sighs.

"Normally?" Hera asks, worry starting to lace its way into his voice.

Ezra shrugs, "I grew up on the street. Seen a lot of thing that no one, kid or adult should see. It's no big deal. I don't normally yell or talk in my sleep unless it really bad. Otherwise, Zeb would have put up more of a fight having to share a room with me." Ezra sighs, wanting to change the topic, "So Kanan, did you have a chance to check the holocrom?"

Kanan nods slightly, "I did." Ezra senses his hesitation, and knows it's bad. "I didn't find anything." Ezra is silent, closing his eyes. He takes a deep breath. The words ring in his ears. Nothing. "I'm sorry." Kanan says.

"There is always a first time for everything." Ezra says, trying to convince himself as well as Kanan. He knows Kanan knows what he's trying to do. "Besides, a dark side user turning to the light isn't something a lot of people would want to remember..." Kanan cocks an eyebrow, confused by his padawan's words. But before he could ask, Hera interrupts.

"Is this yours?" Hera holds out the stuffed tooka.

Ezra's hands shoot out and takes it gently, "Yes. It's... my mom made it for me. It helps prevent nightmares. Thank you. How did you know?" Kanan is relieved to feel a small amount of joy coming from Ezra

"Oh, a little bir-D-y told me." Hera smiles. Kanan wants to face-palm at the joke. Ezra just looks confused. "Now, I think our five minutes are up and you need rest." Ezra at this point lets out a yawn. "Night Ezra."

Ezra nods, "Night Hera. Night Kanan."

"Night, Ezra." Kanan gets up. He looks to Ezra on last time. He's already asleep. Kanan smiles, and lowers the bed to a flat position. Ezra shifts in his sleep, pulling the tooka closer. He seems a lot younger suddenly. Kanan understands Hera's desire not to tell Ezra a little better. Ezra's been through so much, it's natural to want to prevent more pain. But, they aren't in a position where they can protect him, only prepare him. Looking at Ezra, Kanan hopes he made the right choice.

* * *

Kanan sighs, he's been doing that a lot lately. He is checking the engines of the _Ghost_. Standard maintenance, but he couldn't squeeze into a smaller place. "Hey, Ezra-" Kanan starts before remembering Ezra is still in the medical ward, probably catching up on sleeping. Zeb and Sabine tried to visit this morning but the nurse chased them away, saying this is the first time he has slept for more than a hour. That happened two more times since. They are trying again right now.

"Kanan?" Zeb's voice comes through the com. Kanan jumps in surprise hitting his head on the low ceiling of the engine crawl space.

"Yes Zeb?" Kanan rubs the back of his head.

"Kid' made a jail break." Zeb says, his voice sounding like he lost the game of rock paper scissor for who tells Kanan.

"What?!" Kanan yells into the com.

"Nurs' say he said he couldn' stay in the room any longe'. Before she could say let me get a wheel chair, he was in the vent. Honestly, Kanan, I'm surprised it took 'im this long to get sick of that room." Zeb says. Though they both mentally add, _I'm surprised he can stand_.

"I'll start looking for him." Kanan rubs his forehead. Kanan tries to sense Ezra but all he can tell is Ezra is in a vague up direction. So Kanan goes up checking every room he can. After an hour he opens a door that leads outside, mildly surprising him. "Didn't know there was an exit up here." He finally sense Ezra close by. Then he hears laughter, a boy and a girl both laughing. Ezra come rushing out of the bushes looking behind him, before ducking suddenly. A pine cone come flying out of nowhere and hit Kanan in the face. D charges out of the bushes, then stops spotting Kanan. Kanan's about start scolding the two, but he stops. Ezra, out of breath and panting, is laughing. Kanan cannot recall Ezra ever laughing since he joined them a little over a year ago. And it's not sad, or tragic or anything else. It's pure... hope. Kanan still feels Ezra's pain but it mute. Ezra catches his breath and looks up to see Kanan.

"How much trouble am I in?" Ezra asks, a big smile on his face, though he looks a bit sheepish.

"Depends on if you're going to walk back down to the medical ward or not." Kanan says.

"Right. See you" Ezra smiles and waves bye at D as he walks into the base.

"I should probably...Yeah..." D tries to slip through the door.

"D, was it?" Kanan says. D stops, expecting to get scolded for hitting a commanding officer with a pine cone. Kanan smiles, "Thank you."

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next week, we're finally getting out of the Rebel Base and back to Lothal. And not a moment too soon for Ezra. Though I am sure he could wait on meeting up with some **_**friends**_** from the street. Thank you very very much Gu3st123 for review. Reviews make me smile. Thank you AmikuMiku and Cisnecita-chan100 for follow my story. It means so much to me when I get an email saying someone has favorited and folllowed my story. Thank you all for reading my story.**

**Not a lot of review= sad RUHLSAR000. PLEASE REVIEW T.T!**


	5. Chapter 5: When the Past Comes Blasting

**Welcome back! RUHLSAR000 Here! How are you all? As I was writing this I began to worry about the number of OC's I was adding. But these characters were in my story way before D. So yeah, they were way too integrated to my idea of Ezra's backstory to be nixed. If you need a character list for them, let me know. I know it can be very hard to keep track of OC. Oh, Delta General 42, define related? Biologically, no, Zara and Ezra are not related. I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! IT BELONGS TO THE ONLY MOUSE I WANT IN MY HOUSE, MICKEY MOUSE! I apologize for errors, delays, and long author's notes.  
**

* * *

The doctor gives Ezra one last check. "Well, as long as you don't go running down the hall yelling freedom at the top of your lungs, I'd say you're free to back to your crew."

Ezra snaps his finger, "Well, there go my plans." The doctor shakes his head, the amount Ezra has improved in the past two days is quite astonishing. Kanan can't help but smile. Ezra still has his moments of sullenness and those aren't going away, but he isn't pale, his hair is returning to normal and his eyes don't look dead.

The doctor looks at Kanan, "As for missions, I would advise taking it easy. For harder mission, he should sit out altogether." Ezra groans, "I'm fine." The doctor rolls his eyes, "You may be fine, but your arm isn't."

"We'll take it easy." Kanan reassures the doctor.

The doctor sighs, "It's not your crew I'm worried about. The monkey over there has too much energy for his good." Kanan give a look that says, _You're tell me this, why?_ "Right," The doctor shakes his head. "Be sure he rubs this," he holds up a bottle, "On where the metal arm is attached and bandage it, twice a day, for the next two months minimum. It's an antibacterial. Keep the wound clean. I want to see you back in six months to adjust the hand for growth."

Ezra interrupts, "If I can survive half the stuff I have, and not get infected, I think I'll be fine."

"_Right. _That scar on your chest scares me. Just how? How did you nearly get cut in half?" The doctor shakes his head. Ezra just shrugs, not want to answer it.

"WHAT?!" Kanan reacts in predictable fashion. Ezra wince, realizing Kanan hasn't heard that one or most of his scar stories.

"Anyway, these," the doctor hands Kanan another bottle, "are for the pain. And I think that is just about it."

"Thank you, Doctor." Ezra smiles getting up off the bed.

"Just doing my job." The doctor waves it off, "Feel free to drop by when you're not injured."

"I will." Ezra smiles, checking to make sure Mr. Ton Ton is safely tucked back into one of many pockets of Ezra's jumpsuit.

"Thank you, Doctor." Kanan says again, as Ezra goes to his side. They leave after a wave from the doctor.

"So, when are we leaving?" Ezra asks.

"Within the hour." Kanan says.

"I should probably go say good bye to D." Ezra sighs, they really bonded over the last two days.

"You should, but first I want to know about this cut in half thing." Kanan says.

"Cut in half is a bit of a stretch. It was just a deep cut from my right shoulder to my left hip I got when I was eight going on nine." Ezra shrugs, as if it is no big deal.

Well, to Kanan it most definitely is not nothing. "What happened?!" Who... What could do that to a kid?

"I used to take care of some other kids. Younger kids. It was... difficult to get enough food for all of us and to keep moving. So, I had to resort to some pretty stupid means to keep us fed. If two friends of mine hadn't interfered, it would have been much worse." Ezra says. He really doesn't want to talk about this but he knows Kanan won't drop it or worse tell Hera.

"You would have died?" Kanan asks, stopping in the middle of the hall.

Ezra rolls his eyes, "Worse." He continues for a few step before realizing his master had stopped. Ezra cocks his head and looks at Kanan, "I've nearly died about ten times, before joining the crew. Death isn't the worst thing to happen to someone on the street. Some even look at it as a release, though they are died or dying. Death doesn't scare me. It just something there."

Kanan just stares at him. From a teaching point of view, a Jedi need to not fear death. But... Yeah, no this would have disturb any member of the Council. Seriously, did no one show any compassion to his padawan. Kanan opens his mouth to maybe say something, though he doubts it will be intelligent. Ezra beats him to it, "Can we not talk about this? It doesn't matter much anyway. And I don't really like thinking about that scar let alone talking about it."

"Ezra-" Kanan stops what he is going to say, "Fine. For now." Kanan puts his hand on Ezra's shoulder.

Ezra is about to say something when a pine cone beams him in the side of the head. Ezra turns to the direction the pine cone came, smiling. "Thought you could leave without saying good bye." D says hands on her hips.

"Good bye, yes. See you soon, never." Ezra smiles.

D smiles and gently punches Ezra's right arm, "You had better. Next time you come back to base, you, me and a mountain of pine cones."

"Sounds like fun." Ezra chuckles. Kanan stares at Ezra for a moment, astonished at the ease D is able to get Ezra to laugh. D winds up walking them all the way back to the _Ghost_, with her and Ezra making odd observations to get the other to laugh.

"Don't get into trouble." D says as they are about to board to leave.

"I don't go looking for trouble, it just finds me." Ezra says, "Be safe... my friend." Ezra seems hesitant to add the "my friend" but smiles after words and nods slightly as if reassuring himself that those were the right words.

D on her part seems utterly shocked, but a giant smile lights up her face, "You too, my friend." D stands there watching the _Ghost _depart, and for the rest of the day had a big smile on her face. After all, it's not every day that either of them calls someone friend.

* * *

Ezra forgot one important thing when he was discharged, the doctor may have said he is okay for light missions, but Hera didn't. It takes another week and a half before a mixture of Ahsoka finding an easy op, Kanan's reasoning, and Ezra's stir craziness finally got her to relent. She concedes for a simple op. The op is actually very similar to the op they met Ezra on. Only instead of selling the blaster to Visago, they were going to turn them over to other rebels. So they planned. If everything went to plan, they should be in and out before the Empire realized what hit them. Ezra bites back the snarky comment along the lines of when did things ever go to plan, he actually wants to go on this op.

* * *

On Lothal, a purple Twi'ek in a long black sleeve shirt by the name of Talia starts swearing unusually bad, as she grips the binoculars, with only her right hand gloved, on the roof of a building. Badly enough for her partner, a torguta named Orin, to raise an eyebrow and considering yesterday Talia dropped five of the seven words banned from the holonet without anyone in their tribe flinching, that is saying something. Talia looks up at him and says a word that brings everything to context. "Coruscant."

"Ah," Orin says, taking the binoculars and spies his old friend and bond-brother before they all royally screwed up. Orin honestly didn't blame him for lying after the incident to himself and them. Of course, Orin spotted the lie right away and didn't lose a beat when the human identified as "Coruscant" apologized. He would have accepted and ask forgiveness immediately, had Aeries and Connor of the Song tribe not been about to cause an inter-tribe incident and Talia being in a state of shock. By the time, one of those issue had been settle Coruscant had vanished.

Talia brushes the metal helmet like device encapsulating her left lekku. She still acts mad at him for lying, but Orin knows it's because she blames herself for the incident. Orin also knows that he didn't help the situation. "Is he working with that- Is that a gang?" Orin asks, concern echoing through his voice as he remembers things he want to forget.

"Doubtful," Talia leans up against Orin. "Rumor has it he's joined the rebellion. Remember that transmission a while back? Last news from the Song tribe said he was doing that sort of thing every two weeks or so. He always was good at rallying the troops." Talia shifts around to pick up her weapon.

"So, are we still going to steal what they're going to steal?" Orin asks with a sigh.

"Why wouldn't we?" Talia asks, though a tension appears in her. "The kids are hungry and we are running low on medical supplies. Especially, detox."

Orin nods, going without detox would shorten their time till death by a large amount. They can barely afford the stuff. Orin quickly surveys the area and starts swearing. Talia's jaw drops as she looks at him. "Trappers." Orin says.

"Ah," Talia goes cold, taking the binoculars. "How many?" She scans the area.

"At least four." Orin states worried. With their current amount of detox, an encounter with any trappers would be disastrous. At least it was only them here, the rest of the tribe was a mile or so due west.

"Correction. Five known and one is talking to someone I don't recognize, got to assume that he is a new one. Totaling at least six. Oh and there's a couple of Hands's cronies, lovely." Talia sighs, it's not even an option. The trappers are bad enough, but with the major gang leader on Lothal's personal cronies near...

"It's too dangerous to continue. We've got to get the tribe out of here." Orin says, standing. Talia jumps up, eye wide, and grabs his hand. "What?"

"Coruscant." Talia says. Orin's eye immediately snap to the direction of his brother. He swallows, then he nods.

Orin takes out a beat up old com, "Wind 6, come in."

A female teenage voice comes through, "Wind 6 here, what do you need Wind 2?"

"Trappers in the area, break camp. If we aren't back within one hour leave. We will catch up." Orin orders.

"I don't need to the Wind to tell me somethings up." Wind 6 responds, demanding to know what going on. They, normally, would have come straight back.

"Wind Z" Orin says. That all Wind 6 needs, "Understood, give the carebear my regards. Wind 6 out."

Orin looks to Talia, "This is a bad plan."

Talia smirks, "Why because you doubt you'll be able to make the shot?"

"No, because I doubt you'll be able to drive long enough for me to get down there." Orin gives a light hearted tease.

Talia huffs and hits him in the arm, "See you soon." Orin nods as Talia jumps over to another building and another until she is in position.

"Kid, you okay?" A man's voice asks

"I just can shake the feeling of danger." Coruscant's voice answers back. Well, Coruscant has always the best of them at listening to the Wind, Talia muses.

"Please, we haven't had a plan go this well since Spector 6 joined." A gruff voice says, that, Talia sees, comes from something that she can only be described as big purple nightmare fuel in a lovable way. Talia's seen some strange things.

"Hey!" Coruscant protests.

Talia acts, a few wire moves and she lands on one of the bikes, "Thanks for doing the heavy lifting. I'll be taking this." They all jump in surprise, none more than Coruscant.

"Tal-" Coruscant starts stepping forward but is stunned by Orin's shot.

Talia grabs him, "And this. Bye." She nearly crashes the bike three times before getting out of the courtyard. She swerves to avoid three different pedestrians. "What is with all the kriffin people?!" A bang comes from one of the two boxes tailing the bike.

Talia starts before Orin's voice booms, "Five seconds! You can't go five seconds without nearly crashing."

"I'm doing my best!" Talia says in relief, nearly crashing again as she glances to him. "Karablast! We got company! Take the wheel!" She climbs over an unconscious Coruscant.

"Wind 1!" Orin screeches, jumping into the driver's seat to avoid them crashing into a fruit stand. "Don't kill anyone!"

"Stoppers are attached at half an inch." Talia rolls her eyes standing on the second box. She takes off a D-shaped piece of mostly flattened PVC pipe that is only a foot shorter than herself. She takes a foot and a half metal rod from a bag attached to her hip with three dozen other rods in it. She nocks the rod to the string on the D-shaped piece of PVC and pulls back. Watching the many loose strings attached to the main string of the D-shaped piece of PVC, she aims at one of the two speeder bike after them. She releases the string sending the rod into the lovable purple monster's shoulder. It only penetrates half an inch, due to a bulge on the rod stopping it before it goes any deeper. After a second, the second stage of that rod activates: Electrocution. The monster falls off the bike. The human male in a green sweater and left arm armored, looks back. Orin turns a corner, once twice, three time, hopefully losing them and any other worrisome followers.

A thud comes from behind Talia, she spins around and sees a Mandalorian in very colorful armor. "Karablast! That's kriffin awesome armor."

"If you weren't kidnapping the kid, I might have taken that as a compliment," she points her blaster at Talia.

"You know nothing." Talia hooks her bow over the Mandalorian's hand and yanks it to the side, before beaming the Mandalorian with a kick. The Mandalorian punches at her. Talia blocks and side steps, forcing herself onto the first box. With nowhere else to go, the Mandalorian movies to the second box. Talia smirks, grabbing an arrow. She drops down and shoves it into the control panel of the second box, right as Orin makes a sharp turn.

The anti-gravity fails, the box gets thrown off and the Mandalorian gets sent flying.

"Warn me next time!" Talia yells sitting behind her friends. "You nearly threw both me and Coruscant!"

"But I didn't" Orin yells.

"Left!" Talia yell. Orin obeys without question, avoiding collision with a bike that comes out of nowhere a second later. Talia's eye widen. The man in a green shirt is the driver of the bike. He looks determined. "Karablast." Talia sighs. The man takes out a blaster. Talia shifts Coruscant.

"What are you doing?" Orin yells.

"Giving a test." Talia says, putting Coruscant in a position that the man couldn't hit them without hitting Coruscant.

"I thought Wind 14 was the teacher." Orin comments.

"Life's a test." Talia says. The man puts the blaster away. Talia's jaw drops a little and she swallows the lump in her throat. "He did better than we did." A part of Talia hurts badly at that. It distracts her for a moment. But, the moment passes, "Lose him." Orin does several different turns and double backs. Eventually getting the guy going the opposite way. Throughout the maneuvers, Talia holds on to Coruscant and the bike, barely. Because she is holding on to him so tight, Talia feels him stir. "Sleeping Beauty's awake."

"Want me to stun him again?" Orin offers

"I dare you to try it." Coruscant groans. Then, he remembers what happened, "What? Why would you do that Talia?"

"Simple, _Ezra_," Talia impressively turns his name into a scold, as she always did when she said his name. Though Ezra ignores it, maybe he- "Don't even think about it. You jump, I jump. Your question: Trappers and Hands's cronies."

"You couldn't have just told me that?" Ezra groans.

"Would you have told your team?" Talia asks.

"I can handle a few bucket heads with dart guns." Ezra yells.

"Wow! You've been out of it. Three months ago, Trappers were allow to hunt without uniforms! You had five surrounding you! Plus three of Hands's cronies. Need I remind you of how you got that scar on your chest?!" Talia scolds him.

"No." Ezra growls, trying to shake the effects of the stun off.

Talia realize what is happening half a second before it happens, she whips her bow around, ending up sitting backwards on the bike. Two darts bounce off the PVC. She looks up and see two trappers calling from back up. "Orin! Trappers!" She shoots one of them, electrocuting him. She pulls another arrow. "Ebby! I need your help or we're in deep huttslime."

"Karablast!" Ezra says, getting Talia's attention. She spots the trouble immediately and proceeds to release an impressive string of swear words, even for her. A dart is imbedded in his right hand.

Talia reaches behind her to Orin's belt, grabbing the com. "Wind 6! Code E as in Empire, 6 as in resol."

"Who?!" Wind 6's voice comes through immediately. Orin stare at the road. The plan is changing. They'd have trappers here soon. They couldn't lead them back to the tribe. But...

"Wind Z." She looks at Ezra's hand, "It didn't hit the vein but I am still going to tie it off. Be ready to leave and treat." Talia grabs a thin string and tie it around Ezra's hand tight enough for Ezra to feel a pulse regularly.

"Why couldn't it have been the left hand?" Ezra groans. Talia takes out another arrow and nails two more trapper before they leave the city. After fifteen minutes of grassland, they reach the remains of a camp. With each passing minute, Ezra has more and more trouble hanging on to the bike. Talia ends up holding him on to the bike, as the paralyzing effects of the dart coming to surface

As they arrive at a parked stolen transport, twelve people and a droid are waiting around it. "Cely! Get Ezra inside! And get him treated!" Cely, previously identified as Wind 6, rushes over as fast as she can as Orin pick Ezra up, flicking her fingers in a walking motion all the way. They rush him inside, where their last to injection of detox is. Talia knows they got the detox to him before the poison starts affecting his lungs, but she still feel scared. "Mzia! Yue! Get these loaded in." As she orders with her voice she also signs them. The identical twins, Mzia and Yue, nod. Mzia takes Yue's tan hand and leads her to the bike. "Run one last check." She yells to everyone.

A young woman with brown curls just shake her head as she looks at the twins. Even after two years since her parents were taken and she joined the tribe, she still has trouble believing that Mzia is deaf and Yue is blind. "We already checked." She tells one of her co-leaders.

Talia nods in response, "We leave as soon as those are loaded. And Sophia." The brown haired young woman looks up, "Could you make sure the Little Ehn don't bug Ezra too much? You know how much they care about him. They are going to worry so much. Maybe give them a reading lesson" Sophia nods, noticing the three have already vanished into the transport. "Alex, get into the driver's seat." Talia yells to a boy with curly blonde hair.

"Sweet!" Alex yells, jumping up.

* * *

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Hera yells, succeeding in shattering everyone's ear drums. "This was supposed to be an easy op?!" Zeb and Sabine just looks at their hands as the sit in the cockpit.

"It was. We just didn't expect a third party to interfere." Kanan says.

Hera sighs calming herself down. But, come on, because of Ties they had been force to leave Lothal without their youngest with said youngest injured and kidnapped. "Setting course for Lothal. Let's get Ezra back."

"Everyone prep for an op. We don't know who these people are." Kanan says.

**Hope you enjoyed. Sorry it turned out short. All my chapters are ten pages in my word processor. Thank you Delta General 42 and Paint the Wolf for reviewing. Thank you kotorfan for favoriting. Thank you Define Incompetent and amethyst122 for following. Thank you all for reading my story. It really makes me happy to see people enjoy it.**


	6. Chapter 6: Meet at the Rocks of Demar

**RUHLSAR000 Here! How are you? I am wanting more review. I am amazed no one has spotted my inclusion of a certain red-haired EU/Legends character appearing a few chapters back. Or maybe someone has and hasn't commented. Anyway, I made a rather embracing oops last chapter. I completely missed on the size of Talia's bow and arrows and didn't realize it until I went to the archery range on Wednesday. So yeah, proper length for the bow is half a foot taller than Talia and her arrows are two, two-and-a-half feet in length. I really should have spotted that given the bow I use comes up to my eye and Talia's only fifteen and small for her age. Hey! I just realize this is the sixth chapter of Ner Vod, making it, in terms of chapters, my longest fanfiction. Anyway, ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! THAT RIGHT BELONGS TO THE ILLUSTRIOUS SHINING STAR THAT IS MICKEY MOUSE!**** I apologize for delays, error and long winded author's notes.**

* * *

Ezra groans as morning sunlight hits his eyes. It had been a long time since he spent the night outside. "Morning," A nine year old girl jumps next to him, her waist length brown cloak flutters around as it sits strangely over only the left side of her body, like a matador's cape.

"Morning, Ariadne." Ezra sits up.

"Leave him be, Aeries." Talia shouts as she drops the bundle of dried grasses she gathered by the fire. She, now, has a thick white knit poncho over her outfit, fighting off the morning chill. A thirteen year old boy was stirring a pot held over the flames by a tripod made of metal rods.

"Talia. Morning Collin, it's been a while." Ezra says, trying to sit up, extraordinarily stiff in both speech and movement.

"You shouldn't be getting up. You're still recovering from yesterday's poisoning. It was a strong batch. Even with a vile of detox, you fell asleep before we could make camp." Talia says, with a lack of emotions that came from not trusting her voice.

Ezra rolls his eyes and sits up, leading Talia to sigh in exacerbation. "That's new." Ezra gestures to the stolen transport, not really sure what else to say. Though he knows what he wants to.

Talia nods slowly, scared to say the wrong thing, "The Gale is a pain to keep running, but it does help us put more distance between us and the trappers... You need a medical check to make sure it you were hit with a strong batch and not a bad batch of paralysis toxin." She says the last bit with a bit more force but it's clear that she doesn't know how forceful she is _allowed_ to be.

"I'm fine," Ezra rolls his eyes, standing. "You mention the trappers have been more active..." Ezra prompts. This could have major repercussions for ops.

"Yeah," Talia gives a sad laugh at what their friendship has been reduced to, talking about the taken version of weather. "Yeah... It rather unbelievable why...Or the rumor is. It's been triple confirmed. By Mzia's lip reading. By Yue's hearing. And my own hack, during a rescue at the Pin. But I still can't believe."

Ezra did a double take. A triple confirmation by three of the most reliable sources of information retrieval is normally way more than enough for something to be treated a fact among the six tribes. Heck, when it has negative implications for takens, without a good source or multiple sources, rumor is often treated as fact, with the motto better safe than sorry. "What is it?" Ezra asks, for once not letting his guard cover up the lacing of worry in his voice.

"It a mining job, not unusual for the Empire. But it's for something called Kyper crystals. On some some place... Ilum, I think. The weather's too cold and temperamental for normal equipment apparently. They plan on using them to make a space station that can blow up planets. If you can believe-" Talia stops suddenly. "Ezra?"

Ezra turns as white as a ghost. His vision... The giant moon like space station blowing up that planet. For him, this is as good as hacking a star destroyer's communications. His vision is true. Not just a possibility. It is happening. "Ezra." Talia says again. Ezra looks up, his face looking pained with worry. "Are you alright?" Ezra nods. "Are you sure?" Talia says, her voice no longer portraying awkwardness, just concern and a hint of knowing better. Ezra nods, but whorls his index finger into a circle. Talia's eyes widen. It's Talia, Ezra and Orin's hand signal for the Wind. Talia looks around, spying the entire tribe around them. Aeries watching them, hope shimmering in her eyes. The other two members of the Little Ehn, Rodi, a bluish rhodian, and Caleb, a brown hair human, are tossing a ball around. Collin is cooking breakfast. Sophia is helping the two seven year olds, Cloie and Zhu, with their reading on the edge of the Gale. Alex is helping Mzia and Yue go through their inventories for a desperately needed supply run while enjoying the sunshine. Even little Vivi, a four year old yellow devarorian, is playing with Parts, the most annoying astromech-like droid in existence. Talia's eyes lock on Orin. He barely needs to look at her eyes for the message to pass. He stands up and goes into the Gale, after asking Sophia to move out of the way. Ezra doesn't need to be told to follow. Talia takes up the rear, closing the door behind them. This isn't something they want to worry the tribe with.

The inside of the Gale is cluttered, packed tight with supplies of cooking implements, water and most of the blankets. "What did the Wind tell you?" Orin says, leaning against the far wall. Talia see Mzia looking in through the windshield. She goes up and pulls closed the privacy curtain they installed between the driver's seat and main part of the cabin.

"The Force," Ezra corrects. When both Talia and Orin look at him funny, he adds, "That's the Wind's real name. It is what allowed someone to train as a Jedi."

"You mean to tell me five members of our tribe are potential Jedi?" Talia says, shock painting itself on her face.

"You mean I am dating a potential Jedi?" Orin says, just as surprised.

"You two finally got together? Ha! Celestynia owes me five credits. She bet you two would be too stupid to get together." Ezra smirks.

"Your bet with Cely aside, what did the Wi-Force say?" Talia asks.

"It confirms what your reports are saying." Ezra says.

"No way!" Orin pushes off the wall, while Talia looks shocked and scared. "How? The Wind doesn't speak that clearly."

"I've gotten better at hearing it." Ezra uses terms they coined as children to explain it.

"What? Did your mom come back and train you to be a Jedi?" Talia smirks, remembering all the arguments they got into because Ezra refused to believe his mom was a Jedi. Besides his stories of the Jedi being way too detailed, Talia always had this feeling or rather the Wind telling her that she was.

"My mom hasn't come back..." Ezra scratches his cheek. It takes a moment for Orin and Talia to process the underlying meaning of his words, but Ezra sees the lightbulb go off, which is followed by Talia's squeal of delight.

"For family and Wind, Ezra, that is incredible. You told me you and Sunny used to play Jedi all the time. And now... Now, you are becoming one. She would be so proud." Talia smiles, but stops when she see the look on Ezra's face, utter pain and grief. "Love, what's wrong?" She refers to him by the term of endearment she's use since she met him at age eight, when they had been members of the Fire Tribe.

"Sunny is alive and working for the Empire, as an inquisitor, as a Jedi hunter." Ezra slides to the floor.

"That can't be." Talia slides down next to him. "The girl you described-"

Ezra cuts her off, "No longer exists." Ezra looks at his left hand. Orin sucks in a breath as the realization hits him, of who did _that _to his brother. Talia looks over to Orin confused. Orin looks at Talia. She realize it then. Her head snaps back to Ezra, her hands rushing to her mouth in horror.

"Hey, I'm not the first to lose an appendage." Ezra says, bitterly.

It take remarkable few brain cells for Talia realize he is talking about the Hands 2 incident. "It wasn't... Alright it was your fault for being a selfless idiot, but!" Talia reaches Ezra's face and turns it to face her, "You were the victim. And that man is more of a monster than anyone in the Empire. And you know what? I wouldn't have changed anything about that day, not even losing my left lekku. Well maybe you getting that scar on your chest. But, I don't regret anything, because I got something far more valuable than my left lekku. Two brothers." She looks to Orin and Ezra. "That's more family than I had ever had at that point, than I ever believe I could have. And while it has certainly changed, I still find value in it." Talia breathes, thinking over how it fell apart.

* * *

_ Ezra smiles, looking at the gathering of tribes for a swap meet. There looks to be three tribes and a dozen pairs and individuals. It's a good size meet and, being in the dry sewers, a pretty safe and warm one too. Ezra is still amazed he got away from the _Ghost_ without anyone asking to many questions. But it is close to Life Day and the crew is in a funk, probably something to do with remembering their pasts. They probably just thought he is in a funk, too. But, he isn't. He just need to talk to a ghost of his past. _

_ A person jumps on to his back. Ezra spins around and smiles at the little three or four year old. "And who might you be?" Ezra kneels down, recognizing her immediately. There aren't many devarorians on Lothal._

_ She laughs, "It's me, Vivi!"_

_ Ezra laughs, "Oh, wow, I didn't recognize you. You've grown." Ezra hadn't seen her or her tribe or many takens since the last time he brought a newly taken to the Wind Tribe. He never had much of a desire to form his own tribe since he left the Fire Tribe and everything burned away with that lie a year after... Vivi laughs._

_ "There you are." A boy comes over and pats Vivi's head_

_ "Collin, it's good to see you again." Ezra smiles, offering out his hand to the boy. _

_ Collin shakes it. "So, how have you been... Ebby, right?"_

_ Ezra smiles, "I've been good... Better than I have in a long time actually."_

_ "Not going to say anything else?" Collin says, amused. "Well, to everyone's entitled to their story. May the Wind blow you home."_

_ Ezra smiles, not saying it already has, "I'd say that to you but..."_

_ "We already are. Come on, Vivi, let's go see if we can get a deal on those new winter clothes." Collin smiles._

_ Ezra sighs, knowing what he needs to do, knowing why he came here. And this wasn't going to be fun. He walks slowly to where the main of the Wind Tribe has settled, though two-thirds are scattered about. Talia is staring over the shoulder of that sixteen year old relatively newly taken... Sophia... Ezra recalls. Zhu and Cloe are snuggled up next to her. Orin is sitting at the end of the table made of various sizes of crates, watching everything going on in the sections of sewer that the meet is going on in. That's why he spots Ezra approaching them. He leans back and taps Talia's shoulder. Talia looks up and spots him. She leans forward and whispers to Sophia, who nods and hustles the other two kids off. Talia is clutching her third of the charm disc they made when they were nine or ten, as proof of them swearing that they from that day forward would be siblings. That they'd be each other's home. Because of that, what they did was eyebrow raising among the takens. But, because of that, what Ezra did was unforgivable._

_ Ezra stops in front of them. No one speaks. Ezra suddenly wants to run, to hide, to do anything but face them. But to move on, he has to. So, he takes a big breath and speaks in Mando'a to give them some privacy, "I know it's not enough but, I'm sorry."_

_ Talia's eyes snap to him, responding in Manda'o. "What in the dar'yaim are you apologizing for?"_

_ "Lying." Ezra says. "I... When I said I didn't trust you- I-"_

_ "That couldn't have been a lie..." Talia freezes._

_ "It was a lie. I'm so sor-" Ezra feels a sharp pain in his nose and his head hit something hard. He realizes he is on the ground. He looks up to see Talia's fist. It's shaking. "Synd... Please..." Ezra says calling her by the most personal nickname Talia has, the one derived from her last link to old family, her family name. She yanks off her cord necklace, holding the third of a circle charm, and throws it at Ezra's feet._

_ "Hey, no fighting at meets!" Agatha, a tough leather wearing member of the gear tribe, shouts. Then, raises her eyebrow, "Seriously Ebby? Again?"_

_ "I never start any of the fights!" Ezra yells, annoyed at the amount of times one person in particular tries to hit him at these sort of things. And that particular someone isn't even here. Talia just storms off. Ezra looks down, sighing. He looks back to Orin. Orin opens his mouth to say something but closes it. He walks off, leaving Ezra there._

_ Ezra sighs, picking up the charm and pocketing it. He lost them, permanently. He had known it would but it really hurts. He couldn't stay here. He wasn't wanted here. So, he get up and leave. The three inch deep snow clings to his boots as he walks home. He barely notice the blood dripping down his lip. He is not sure if he is ready to face the crew with the smile he needs to. So, he brushes the snow off a rock near the ship and sits down. Snow slowly starts drifting down. Ezra watches it. He never was able to as a kid, not since the Empire came and took everything. Snow always meant cold, and that just added to challenge of surviving. But with him not being able to feel his knows and safety a few yards, he is content to just watch its beauty._

_ He hears the ramp go down, though he can't be seen from the ramp, and Kanan's voice, "Where could he be?" After a few moments it is followed by, "I'm going out to look for him."_

_ "Look for who?" Ezra asks, standing up and walks into the lights of the cargo bay. Relief fills Kanan and Hera's faces before they see his nose. "What happened?" They rush over to him._

_ It takes a moment to realize they are talking about his numb nose. "Oh, yeah, I ran into an old friend with a mean reverse." He doesn't have the energy to lie._

_ "Why would you would you wait out in the snow?" Hera pulls him to the common area and brings out a medical kit, mumbling worries and scolds all the way._

* * *

"Could you ever forgive me for leaving you for dead? Or is that a dream?" Talia whispers.

"I can't give forgiveness." Ezra says. Orin's head shoots up in surprise. He thought- "There is nothing to forgive. Any Taken would have done the same. At the end of the day it's about survival." Orin smirks, he thought Ezra thought that.

"Not you." Talia laughs sadly, "You would never willing leave someone you care about. And because of that you changed everything among the takens. Four of the six tribes are now care tribes. You've almost destroyed the fear of being left behind. And I... I left you behind. How can you forgive me?"

"Can you forgive me for lying to you about trusting you?" Ezra lifts a cord necklace tucked into his shirt, his third of a circle. Then, he pulls out hers from his pocket "I never stopped trusting you. But I was mad and I wanted to hurt you and I believed it. But the moment I saw your face, I knew I lied. And I'm sorry didn't seem to be enough. I didn't know what to do. I was so stupid-"

Talia holds up her hand, "We both were. How can I blame you for lying when you don't blame me for leaving?"

"So, we cool?" Ezra asks, with a smile.

"No, but we're better than we were." Talia smiles.

"And that's a good place to start," Ezra finishes.

Orin rolls his eyes, "Oh, we're back to this annoying trait."

"Orin..." Ezra starts, but Orin holds up his hand.

"We're cool man. I spotted the lying before you finished saying the words." Orin smiles. "I am amazed there was no yelling."

"I think all our anger summed up when I apologize three months ago and Talia broke my nose." Ezra rolls his eyes.

"Did I really?" Talia asks, in sudden horror as she looks at Ezra.

"Yeah, you did." Ezra smirks, and jokingly adds, "Trying to explain that was a real pain."

Talia shakes her head. "Okay, I think breakfast is almost ready and Ezra needs a medical check-" Talia says, before Ezra groans.

"If I wasn't fine, it would have sho-" Ezra's protest die in his throat as he spies Talia's face. "Never mind." Talia opens the door and finds the entire tribe trying to listen in, though clearly gleaming nothing. They all look up hopeful at their two leaders and whatever Ezra is to the tribe. "We're better, not great, but better." All at once a happy shriek falls through the tribe. "Ow! Aeries." Talia winces. "Cely, can you check to make sure there were no lasting repercussion to the paralysis?"

"Sure thing, Talia." Cely says, holding up her hands. Sophia, who is closest, goes over and maneuvers her on to her feet, making sure she is balanced before Sophia releases her. Cely walks over to Ezra, her finger doing the same motion as walking and the metal skeleton wrapped around her legs glinting in the morning sun.

"It's great. We can all travel together again, like before!" Aeries says excitedly.

Ezra looks at Talia, who nods sadly, but understanding. Ezra understands Talia's thoughts, "Ariadne..."

* * *

"Can't you just track him using the Force?" Sabine huff, trying to modify the com.

"No, because he is too far away to get an actual location." Kanan huffed, explains for the umpteenth time. They are all exhausted, not having slept much the night before.

"How'd we ev'n know they aven't handed him over the Empire?" Zeb sighs. Everyone looks at Zeb. "What? How'd we know that's not why they grab'd him?"

Sabine gulps, setting down her tools, "The girl was dressed rather raggedly. They could have turned him in for the reward..."

"All the more reason to find him." Hera says. "Fast."

"Right," They all agree.

Sabine works on the com for another five minutes before growling and throwing down a screw driver. "I reconfigured it five times, Every time it goes to the same place. Whatever they are doing, I can't crack it."

"Why can't it be there?" Zeb asks

"It's the middle of nowhere! Literally! There's nothing out there. Just a bunch of rocks." Sabine says.

"Nothing maybe out there but it's our only lead." Hera says.

"Well then were heading to the Rocks of Demar." Sabine says shaking her head. Zeb groans.

"Then, we head to the Rocks of Demar." Hera says.

"More like the Lover's Grief." Zeb groans, referring to the legends of the rocks. Including the one of the female ghost carrying of men to untimely deaths.

"Zeb, the only specters are the ones on this ship." Kanan smirks, finding how superstitious Zeb is slightly humorous.

* * *

"So, these are da Rocks of Demar..." Zeb groans, looking ready to jump at any moment. Sabine, intentionally or not, sneaks up behind him and tapped his shoulder, resulting in a comical jump. "Don't do that."

Sabine raises her hands in defense, "I don't know why you're so jumpy."

"Believe me, when you've seen as much strange as I have. You pay attention to superstition." Zeb says. "And the Howling Ash Plants are just plan creepy."

"Quiet." Kanan says, "Someone's coming." Hera looks around seeing only a maze of black smooth stone ranging from small to huge.

"Freeze!" A female voice says. They spin around. A girl looking to be a small nine year old with short cropped brown hair is standing there. She is wearing black leggings covered with a more durable pant, with the right leg cut into shorts. A waist length cloak sits ajar covering the left side if her body. She is pointing a rather powerful looking heavily modified blaster at them with one hand. "What part of freeze don't you get?" She is glaring at them.

"You're just a little girl." Zeb chuckles.

The little girl glares gets colder, she moves the blaster slightly and fires. The bolt hits Hera square in her chest. "Specter 2!" Kanan grabs her before she hits the ground. Zeb and Sabine aim their blasters at the little girl.

"Go ahead! Shoot! I am the best shoot of my tribe. I can floor all of you before you get a shot off and if I don't, I have an entire tribe within these rock to watch my back." The girl smirks. "Get out of here! You'll only hurt Ebby by bring him into that mess. You keep him from those who really care about him."

"Who?" Sabine asks.

"Ebby? Ezra?" The girls says, disbelief coloring her voice

"We care about him," Kanan yells, insulted by her accusation.

The girl yells, "Then why bring him into all this? He's already hunted enou-"

"Aeries! What are you-" The purple twi'ek from yesterday comes around a group of rocks and freezes, "Doing?" A beat occurs. "Ariadne! What have you been kriffin doing? We need them to like us! And given I shot one yesterday, I don't think we are in a good position." She sees Hera. "Karablast! Did you shoot her?"

"I'll shoot them again on kill this time." The little girl threatens.

"Don't listen." The twi'ek face palms. "That blaster was modified by its previous owner to permanently set to stun." The purple twi'ek walks over to the little human girl and grabs the blaster. "Aeries as punishment-"

"You can't punish me! I didn't break any tribe rules, Wind 1." The girl yells.

Wind 1 sighs, "You're right. I can't. Come on, rebels, your member can recover at our base. The blaster has a nasty kick to." Wind 1 smiles apologetically. The crew look at her with skepticism. "Ezra's at base. If you want to pick him up, I'd suggest you come." She looks over to the girl, "And you, little missy, are going to explain to Ezra why his friend is knocked out."

"What! No!" The girl cries. "Don't tell Ebby!"

"I'm not, you are." Talia says. "And don't call him Ebby. Ezra was given that nickname by his sister Sunny. And bad things have happened..."

"What things?" The girls asks, getting frustrated at the secrets.

"Just-" Wind 1 stops and sighs, "It's not my place to say. Come on." Wind 1 grabs her hand and pulls her through the maze. After a moment, the Ghost Cell follows, with Zeb carrying Hera. After a few minutes, they come to a troop transport camouflaged to be less obvious among the surround by rocks. About fifteen people are sitting in a semi-circle, eating bowls of something. In the center of semicircle is Ezra, who appears to be telling a story, "As Mirada looks over the captain of her new troops, she doesn't know the trouble the two will get into together. Though as the captain would say 'You're only in trouble if you get caught'. She saw a spic and span young man looking younger than her with a smirk that screamed trouble. It was that smirk that told Mirada, who at this point had never broke a single rule, they we are going to get along nicely."

"Ezra, your crews here to pick you up." Talia says.

Ezra looks up from the story, smiling, but the smile immediately falls when he sees Hera. He bounds over, "What happened?" Wind 1 pushes the little girl forward. Ezra pauses, then looks at her, "Ariadne?" He glances up at Wind 1, a moment passes then he turns back to Ariadne. "What did you do?" Wind 1 motioned to a torguta with a scar in his right horn. The torguta nods, getting up and going into the transport.

"I..." Ariadne squirms under his gazes, "I kinda shot her..."

Ezra didn't miss a beat, though he looks very disappointed, "Why?" Ariadne mumbles something that no one could make out. "I couldn't catch that."

"I SAID I CAN'T LOSE YOU AGAIN!" Ariadne flings herself at Ezra, hugging his waist with her right arm and crying into his jumpsuit. "I don't... I don' wanna... lose you..." Ariadne has trouble breathing, talking and crying at once. Ezra bends down. Ariadne adjusts herself, so that her right arm are in a strangle hold around his neck.

"Hey! We can't waste water on tears. No crying." Ezra looks at Talia. "I'll talk to her."

"You do that, Love." Talia sigh, rubbing her temple.

"I'll be back." Ezra says, picking her up far too easily. The little girl wraps her legs around his waist and buries her face into his shoulder. He walks into the maze of stones, giving a wave and a smile to the crew.

"You can set her down her." A male voice surprises the crew. The turn to see the torguta gesturing to a blanket on the ground next to a small quickly dug hole about the size of a bowl. "Your friend will be out for a while longer than a normal stun, but other than being nauseous and sore when she wakes up, she'll be fine."

Zeb thinks for a moment before looking at Kanan, who nods. Zeb goes over and sets her down. "So... who are you?" Kanan asks, still a little weary.

The torguta sighs and stands up, "I am Orin and this," he gestures to Wind 1. "Is Talia. We are the co-leaders of the Wind Tribe."

"Wind Tribe?" Sabine asks.

"Yeah? Tribes? You know... groups of takens..." Talia explains. Receiving a blank look, she further explains, much to her clear surprise, "Takens is the short form of taken's child... It's what we call ourselves, after all the Empire took all of our parents away and more. As we had no one to take care of us so we form groups to take care of us. Though, there is a lot of variation between groups. Some you can't keep up, you get left. You get left, you'll probably die. Others like us, are as close to a family and friends as we will ever get. There are six tribes in total on Lothal and many individuals or pairs that don't have ties to other tribes. Seriously? I know we like to keep ourselves to the shadows, but did Ezra seriously not mention any of this?"

"Does he have a connection to this tribe?" Kanan asked. Ezra when they first met didn't seem to have connections to anyone

"Connection? It's because of him this tribe formed. He laid the seed while most of us were part of the Fire Tribe. Though he did... leave when he was eleven." Talia says, a smile on her face. "He changed everything with that compassion and heart of his. It was a lot worse before. Ah, but where are my manners, please sit. I'd offer food but we barely had enough to feed ourselves. And that's a good day." Talia shrugs. Kanan spies a bowl of stew that looks half empty, but is untouched. Must be Ariadne's breakfast, he thinks, but it's nowhere near enough for child. He suddenly wonders how these kids survive, how Ezra survived.

"Can the Wind Tribe return to the story?" A ten year old rodian asks, impatiently.

"Would our guest mind listening to a story about a Jedi at the end of Clone Wars?" Talia asks, eyeing the crew with worry.

Eyes glance to Kanan, worried. Kanan sighs, he didn't even like talking about his past, let alone hear someone else's story possible about someone he knew. But, it would bring up uncomfortable questions, "I don't see why not."

Talia smiles gently and sadly, before walking to where Ezra was. "So it shall be. The two, Jedi knight and clone trooper, didn't have time to talk. The alarms started blaring as a separatists begin their third wave of attacks"

* * *

Ezra sits down on a rock. "Hey, you want to talk?"

Aeries doesn't look up, "You don't care about us anymore. You've replaced us... me..."

"Never," Ezra wipes away the tear following down her cheek. "I became a rebel not only because the Wind told me to, but so I could fight for you and the tribe and all taken. To give us back our names."

"But you could die!" Aeries cries out.

"I could die as a Taken as well. But this way I am doing something. And there is hope of changing the situation and... Wow! I sound like Hera" Ezra chuckles. "Now, tell me what's bothering you."

"I don't remember my parents. You know that. I was what one. I was younger than either Vivi or Talia. You're the closest thing I have to a parent. I don't want to be alone." Aeries sniffs.

Ezra rolls his eye, not to be mean but because they both know it's true. "You aren't alone and you know it. Talia and Orin have taken over the role of protectors. You still have your brothers. Then the twins, Celestyna, Collin, Alex, Zhu, Cloie, Vivi and even Parts. You aren't alone. Not anymore, not ever."

"I want you." Aeries says, looking into his deep blue eyes.

"And you have me. J...Just close your eyes and know I feel the same Wind." Ezra sighs. "Ariadne, I know you don't like this. But I... I've found my place with the crew. And, while I was happy raising you and your brothers as well as aiding Celestyna and the twins with their debilities, it wasn't my place. I found my place with my crew. I need to be there."

Aeries nods with a defeated sigh, "Alright, we can't afford a lot of things including attachments." Aeries is quoting Talia from when she was Aeries's age.

"That'a girl." Ezra smiles. It was a few minutes before she calmed down enough for them to return to the group, though. When they did, Aeries plopped down next to Hera. Ezra is surprised that Talia continued the story, but, after a quick glance to Kanan, settles down to listen until Rodi and Alex drag him up to tell the story.. The crew is confused by this, until the first three words leave his lips. Apparently, Ezra can tell a story. They listen for about an hour. "Snark kissed Miranda. The yelling died in her throat, before starting right back up again." A groan interrupts him. Hera sits up, before leaning over and emptying her stomach into the hole Orin dug. Ezra raises his eyebrow, "Good aim."

"Experience. Aeries is always leaving her... your...her...whatever blaster out and the younger ones tended to prank with it." Orin deadpans. Ezra give an apologetic look, but Orin just shrugs it off.

"What happened?" Hera rubs her temples. "I feel like a speeder hit me."

"Nope. Just a modified blaster fired by a one armed spitfire." Talia says.

Hera looks at her, before feeling a tug on her sleeve. She looks to see Aeries. Aeries swallows, "I am sorry. I was raised better than that."

"Well, Spector 2 awake. I think we should head out." Ezra says walking towards Kanan, then pauses "What ever happen to the blast-"

"Don't ask." Orin and Talia say at the same time. Ezra has a suspicion that they already sold the crate of blaster. When he has no clue. Kanan helps Hera up.

"Bye guys. I'll be sure to visit." Ezra smiles, waving.

"You think, we'd let you go if you didn't. Next time you have to tell us how you got those scars on your face." Cely teases.

"Nope, not happening. But you do owe me five credits" Ezra smirks.

"And you owe Talia fifteen though you refuse to admit you lost that bet." Cely teases.

"I have not." Ezra mock-glares at her. He turns, to leave

"Ezra!" Aeries yells. Ezra turns back to the tribe only for Aeries to barrel into him. He leans down and returns the hug.

"I love you." Aeries says though it is muffle by her burying her face into his shoulder.

"I love you, too." Ezra whispers back.

Aeries releases him, "Kick some Empire butt for me."

Ezra chuckles, "Can do, little one."

Aeries runs back to her tribe. Talia walks up. They share a smile. Ezra says simply, "I know."

Talia nods. "I know." Then Talia adds, "You have to tell him about Trappers. You can wait for Hands until you are ready. But, they need to know about the trappers. And the takens. Now." Ezra gives a short nod.

With that the crew takes their leave. Ezra couldn't get the smile to leave his face. The family he thought he lost through his own stupidity has returned to him after five years.

Kanan turns to Ezra, "Trappers?"

"They are the reason why I was kidnapped and spent most of the night partially paralized." Ezra says, sounding understandably annoyed at the trappers.

"Wait. WHAT!" Kanan asks, startled. Everyone else is staring at him, startled.

Ezra turns to Chopper. "Please tell me you are recording their faces."

* * *

**Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Paint the Wolf for reviewing! Thank you, RebelBailey for favoriting and following! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Please! Please! Please, review I love hearing your idea, theories and question. I want to get better and I can't do that without feedback. Thank you for reading my story.**


	7. Chapter 7: Back to Work

**RUHLSAR000 Here! How has it been? We have a weird mash of Sonya and Ezra drama and Kanan and Ezra fluff. Yeah, not sure how that worked together, but it did. I love writing Sonya's scenes, though she can be a pain to write. She is on the side of the Empire and is feared by both sides so she has to be mean and cunning, yet I want her sympathetic. I hope I am doing a good job at it. If you have any other ways of saying Disney, I'd be greatly appreciative if you let me know. I am running out of things to say. Anyway, I apologize for errors, delays, and long-winded author's notes. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! THEY BELONG TO THE GREAT JEDI MICKEY MOUSE!**

* * *

Sonya looks over the holomap, which floats above the table which she is leaning on. The rebel activity of the last three weeks on Lothal has been minimal at best. In fact, her rebels seem to have only arrived back on Lothal two weeks ago. Where were they? According to the pompous ISB agents, there is no central Rebel base. Yet, the Lothal rebels, especially her brother, would need a place to recuperate after _that_. Lothal is the obvious choice. Yet, none of the medical centers anywhere reported anyone with a _cleanly_ severed limb coming in. Who knew farming was that dangerous?

There have been a few supply raids here and there. The biggest thing they have done has been to destroy a factory several parsecs away. Why were they there, anyway? They didn't run in the direction of Lothal either, unless they were doing multiple hyperspace jumps to throw things off. Yet, that would waste fuel especially if, as Sonya suspected, they could scramble their ships signal. Wasting is something that, with their resources, wouldn't be done.

"What are you thinking?" The ISB agent who needed to shave said. Kallus, Sonya recalls. Her master spoke of him a few times. Apparently, more competent than most ISB agents. Though, Sonya reserved judgement.

"The rebel cells have a central base," Sonya says. It takes all of her training to hide the utter surprise, when Kallus doesn't shut down the thought immediately.

"Explain." He states, looking over the map.

Sonya looks back to the map, "When I faced the Padawan, he sustained multiple serious injuries. None the least were a concussion and a severed forearm. They could not have treated that with just a bandaid. From what you told me, they are loyal to one another. They won't abandon him for losing his arm. Yet, there are no reports of an arm cut cleanly off in any of the Lothal medical centers or any of the surrounding system's medical centers. They would go someplace they felt reasonably safe to regroup and for their youngest to recover. So, that means they wouldn't go to any unfamiliar systems. Not only that but we have a positive ID on the Lothal rebels leaving the ruins of a factory on Tarin in the opposite direction of Lothal." Sonya pushes away from the table, and waits for him to chuckle at the 'naïve' child. "Plu- Additionally." She corrects her speech mid-word to pick a more professional sounding word. "The rebels are more united then the Empire has believed or is willing to admit. It doesn't make sense for them not to have a central hub to coordinate from."

Kallus surprises her, "Agreed, but that is not your job. It's mine. Now do you have any plans to capture _your_ rebels?" Sonya senses a mild amount of respect building for the man. He, unlike most, is giving her a chance to prove herself before judging. Maybe, if there was more officers like him, this rebellion would die.

"I may have a trick or two." Sonya smirks.

* * *

Kanan sighs, rubbing his temple.

_You only hurt Ezra by bring him into that mess. _The child, Ariadne, Ezra called her, had said that. She had said that in an attempt to get him to leave Ezra. It hadn't worked, but Kanan couldn't help thinking that maybe she is right. Ezra has been put in danger so many time since they met. Heck, on their first mission together, Ezra was captured because of them. And from what Kanan had learned recently about the taken, that meant an almost certain trip into slavery if it was found out he was a taken's child. And there had been numerous almost captures since then.

Besides capture, Ezra had nearly died numerous time. Kanan shivered at the thought of his battle with the Inquisitor. Had that catwalk not been there... Kanan really would have had nothing left to lose. Kanan may have been the master in their relationship, but Kanan doesn't doubt that the Force caused their meeting, so Ezra could _guide_ him back to the ways of the Jedi.

When he met Hera, she brought back the guy who would risk his neck for others back to the surface. However, Kanan still had no desire to return to being a Jedi. In fact, being a Jedi while fighting the Empire was even more dangerous for all involved. The day he met Ezra, he had an argument with Hera about using his skills as a Jedi. Yet, Ezra need Kanan to train and guide him, and in that need wound up guiding Kanan back to the path of Jedi. But, had Ezra really needed Kanan to train him?

Had Kanan not offered to train Ezra, where would Ezra be? Probably not that much different than before. He was doing just fine before, lonely yes but he would have eventually joined up with the Wind Tribe. Kanan sighs, remembering the joy on Ezra's face when he watched the tribe. Ezra is rarely that open with his feelings, but everyone could see his happiness that day.

Oh and let's not forget the _lovely_ little incident a few weeks ago that involved his sister cutting off his arm. Had Ezra not joined the crew, Sonya never would have targeted him for vengeance. Heck, Sonya would probably have had no need of vengeance. They couldn't not fight Sonya. The crew's activities will bring the two siblings into direct collision with each other.

"You want to talk about it?" Ezra asks.

Kanan jumps, having momentarily forgotten that Ezra is in the room and that they are doing a lesson. "You're supposed to be meditating." Kanan says, not opening his eyes.

"I'm still not great at meditation. And someone is sending out waves of emotion, which is quite a distraction." Ezra rolls his eye. He is worried about the amount of worrying Kanan is doing. "If you don't want to talk to me, then at least talk to Hera. You know, when you're worried about something, I'll eventually start worrying about it or think it's my fault. Which isn't helpful to either of us."

"Alright, alright." Kanan remembers the Lumenara incident a little under a year ago, and how Ezra felt that it was his fault Kanan had trouble teaching him and that Kanan wanted to "pawn" him off. Since then Kanan had figured out Ezra's confident front was only a front and he had to be aware of how his actions could look to his padawan. "I'll be right back." He glances at the clock and sees two hours have passed since they began. "Take a break."

"Thanks," Ezra shifts out of a kneeling position and rubs his knees.

Kanan leaves his room, finding Hera in the cockpit. "Hey."

"Hey, aren't you and Ezra supposed to be meditating." Hera ask, looking over a datapad of possible targets.

"Apparently, I was giving off enough worry to be distracting." Kanan says, sitting down next to her.

"What are you worried about? For us, we're doing pretty well right now." Hera cocks her head confused.

"I guess that's what I'm worried about. The 'for us' bit." Kanan sighs, leaning back. "Right after that Ariadne girl shot you she said 'You only hurt Ezra by bring him into that mess.' And well, look at everything he's been through since... I know there is no turning back and there never was, but I wish that at least some things didn't happen to him. Rebel or Padawan, he's been through-"

"More than anyone, let alone a child should go through. It's not fair. It's not right. But that's just life." Hera sighs, the rough edge making it clear she hated the fact that what she said was true. For once, she didn't know what to say or do.

"Did we do the right thing in bringing him into all this?" Kanan asks

"I don't know, Caleb," Hera uses the name she's only used a handful of time. "I don't know."

* * *

The crew sits around the holograph of a factory. "Alright, we have a mission. Infiltrate the new tie factory and destroy it. Sabine, think you can rig something up?" Kanan asks.

"I may have an idea or two." Sabine smirks.

"Zeb, think you can cause enough of a distraction in the courtyard." Kanan points to a flat enclosed ground.

"Might be a little difficult. But sounds like fun." Zeb notes.

"I could help, two insurgents in the court yard is sure to cause a greater distraction." Ezra say.

"No, Sabine needs to get to the center of the factory, the most heavily guarded part of the compound. It will take all three of us to get her there." Kanan says. Ezra, while knowing that to be true, senses that isn't Kanan's reason. He sense an overprotectiveness in Kanan. He resists the urge to groans. He can't help but think not again. That, and what triggered it this time? Last overprotective surge from a crew member wasn't even a month ago. He waits until the meeting is finished before pulling Kanan aside.

"Do you think I am a weakness to the team?" Ezra asks, though for once Ezra knows that's not true. He just needs to get Kanan's attention. It works.

"What? No, no. Absolutely not." Kanan says quickly, shock covering his face.

"Then, why are you being overprotective? Don't deny it. I sensed it. Clearly." Ezra looks up into his masters eyes, making Ezra's own small size very apparent. Ezra wished that years on the streets hadn't stunted his growth. He wasn't finished growing, so maybe he could get taller. But he'll never be as tall as he could have been. Maybe that's why Kanan is being overprotective, though Ezra quickly tossed the idea.

"Why are you so empathetic?" Kanan shakes his head. "It's just something that girl, Ariadne, said."

"You can call her Aeries, everyone does. I call her Ariadne, because I named her that." Ezra says, surprising Kanan. He stashes that information away.

"It just made me wonder, with everything that's happened, if you would have been better off not joining the crew." Kanan admit.

"No." Ezra says, before hiding a very amused laugh behind his hand and mumbling, "Talia's going to laugh so hard at this."

"I'm serious, Ezra." Kanan says, slightly upset at the reaction.

"So am I." Ezra settles his laughter and the looks sad, "The reason I am short for my age isn't because of how I grow. It's stunted because I could rarely find enough to eat. You heard the doctor at the rebel base, worrying about me being ten pounds under weight for my height. I've put on about twenty pounds since joining the crew. Kanan, we have a saying among the Taken, don't live for the future, you'll never get there. If I was on my own, I don't know if I'd be alive right now. From starvation, exposer or worse, I'd probably be dead."

Kanan starts to protest "But the tribe-"

"I would never have gone back to them." Ezra shakes his head, "Talia, Orin and I had a falling out. A really nasty one. The only reason, and I do mean the only reason, I found the courage to apologize was because of what I learned as your padawan. Kanan, if you had any idea of how much you and the crew have given me, from safety, to be able think farther than a week into the future, to endless joy, you never even think that. Yes, there have been bad times, but there always are." Ezra smiles, looking very sincere. "Thank you, for everything," Ezra puts his hand on Kanan's shoulder. Ezra left to prep for the op.

* * *

Everything seems to be going to plan for some strange reason. Zeb wasn't even having too much trouble with the bucketheads. And while Ezra knew better than anyone not to look a gift horse in the mouth, he is also painfully aware that very few gifts don't have a cost. So what was the cost of things going to plan?

Ezra follows Kanan and Sabine. They had yet to encounter a single bucket head in route. Ezra's mind is screaming at him. Even if there is a breach in the compound, protocol should be to have some troops defending the power core. "Am I the only one hearing something scream 'trap'?"

"Let's just get in and out. That will minimize our chances of spring it, if there is one." Kanan says, not feeling as certain that there is a trap. This is a factory not a military base. Less troopers is to be expected. Plus, they choose the middle of the night for their attack to minimize the number of people present.

They make it to the locked door leading to the power generator, or where thye thought it would be. As they entered, the large room was completely empty or so they thought.

Ezra senses it first, drawing his light saber and parrying the red lightsaber coming down on him. With a wave of her hand, she sent Kanan into a small alcove where a plasm shield traps him. Another flick of the wrist, Sabine is sent flying in to the hall the door, locking behind her.

She jumps back, pulling out her second lightsaber. Ezra takes out the shoto. "Sunny." Ezra breaths his opponent's long forgotten nickname, "Must we do this?"

"I don't see another option." Sonya ignites the lightsaber.

"Don't do this." Ezra begs. He ignites the shoto.

Sonya runs at him. Ezra fires at her. She deflects each blast, not slowing in the slightest. Their blades lock. Sonya moves her left leg behind Ezra's and sweeps out his feet. They fall to the ground, Sonya landing on top of Ezra, pinning his shoulders with her legs. She flicks off her lightsaber, flipping them around and swinging it to his temple to knock him out. Ezra flicks his wrist so the hilt hits his lightsaber instead. He is left gapping as the hilt come into contact with his blade without being cut in half. Even with all his strength, Sonya is pushing the lightsaber closer and closer to his face. "Mandolorian Iron, one of the few metals lightsabers can't cut." Sonya smirks.

Get a view of it much to close for comfort, Ezra say, "Useful." He sends, his knee into her kidney with enough force to send her rolling over him, freeing himself. Ezra rolls to his feet. As does Sonya.

"You got a new hand." Sonya smirks, more evidence of the rebel base.

"Works quite well." Ezra says. "Sunny, we don't have to fight. I know you're strong enough to return to the light."

"Perhaps once, but not anymore. Not after what that woman did." Sonya takes a calming breath as her mask slips, letting a tear fall down her face. She flings one of her lightsabers at Ezra's head. Ezra deflects it before blocking Sonya's next attack.

"Surrender, Ezra." Sonya blares down her brother. "You'll be allowed to live."

"And tortured for information I won't give." Ezra summons his strength and pushes her off. Given how much stronger and bigger she is, that is an accomplishment. She summons her lightsaber, and Force pushes Ezra hard into a wall. Ezra's ears begin to ring.

"Karablast! There goes that plan." He hears his sister mumble. He looks up and see that Kanan has freed himself and has his lightsaber drawn. He smiles, shaking the pain from his head. Ezra stands strait, raising his lightsabers and shifts into a back stance. "Well, this looks like fun." Sonya smirks, before Force jumping to Kanan other side, with a flip for flare. She lands with her right foot next to the middle of her left foot, and her lightsabers out. Viable offensive position, no, but very intimidating.

"Ezra! Get the door open." Kanan say, not bothering to hide Ezra's name. With his sister on the dark side, it is only a matter of time before they find out who he is. If they haven't already. Another lovely problem that Ezra joining the crew caused for Ezra.

"Don't bother. It soldered itself shut the moment it closed." Sonya smirks. Kanan shares a sideways glance to Ezra, who nods. Kanan runs at Sonya. Ezra, disengaging the shoto, runs to the door and starts cut it open with his lightsaber. Sonya parries Kanan's attack, gritting her teeth. This guy is a head taller than her and at least fifty pounds heavier. Clearly, she needs to switch strategies from the one she used for Ezra.

Her normal strategy for bigger opponents, speed and dodging with some aerials similar to ataru, wouldn't work, though. It's too similar to Ezra preferred style, though his does appear to have thrown in some makashi as well.

Surprise it is, then. She blocks his swipes with her hilt, allowing her to withstand stronger attack and letting her get closer to her opponent so he can't use his lightsaber as effectively. She slams her other hilt towards Kanan's temple.

Kanan dodges back barely. He jumps back, sizing up Sonya. She's young and unusually strong. What she lacks in experience, she more than makes up for in unique and creative style. She knows her lightsabers, and how to use every part in battle. This created an enemy difficult to defend against, without knowing her way of fighting. Kanan can't help be more than mildly impressed at Ezra's ability to hold his own against her. But, Kanan is also creative and he has had more training than her, having been trained two years longer than she has been, as well as what he learned fighting the Empire.

She rushes Kanan. The sound of clashing blades worries Ezra, but they need to leave. This mission is a trap. If they had any hope of surviving, this door needs to be gone. He cuts through the final bolt, doors whooshing open. "Master!" Ezra calls. Kanan gives a quick glance before trying to get an opening to run. Ezra doesn't stop even for a moment, seeing fifteen stormtroopers on Sabine. Ezra blasts five of them rushing towards her. Sabine kicks one in the gut grabbing his gun and shooting five more before another stormtrooper grabs the blaster. Ezra slams into the trooper, then blasts him with his blaster. Kanan barrels out of the room. Sonya strolls confidently out after him. Kanan deflects a blast back at the last remaining trooper. Sabine grabs her blasters before the three races down the hall.

Sonya gives pauses to glance over the troopers. Most were merely stunned, though a few had more serious wounds from the grabbed blaster. The one who got hit with the redirected blaster in the arm stands. "Call for a medic." She orders.

"Yes, Ma'am." Sonya recognizes the voice as the trooper who had the gall to tell her to eat nearly three weeks ago and had persisted in bring her food whenever she trained. She still senses no fear from him, though he must have heard rumors.

"You're a fool not to fear me." Sonya says racing off. She reaches the courtyard in time to see Kallus standing there. The rebel's ship is lifting up, the ramp still open. Ezra stands there, staring down at her. An energy that has nothing to do with the Force passes between them. He turns, rushing into the ship. Ties fly after the ship.

Sonya approaches Kallus, "We failed." She fumes. Lord Vader, as well as Tarkin, will not be happy.

"Not necessarily." Kallus says, looking up at the dog fight.

"The ties will not get them." Sonya says.

"The twi'elk is too good for that," Kallus agrees. "However, the goal was to confirm your thoughts on their weakness. They were far easier to capture once separated."

Sonya nods, "It was only once they were able to regroup that they were able to escape."

"Their strength is their weakness. This will proved great advantage to future confrontation."

Sonya nods, "We also confirmed something else." Kallus turns to her, expectantly. "The padawan has a metal arm. That's something they wouldn't be able to do on that ship. The rebels have a base. Find the nest, destroy the infestation." Kallus nods in agreement.

* * *

Sonya slices through the holographic battle droid. "Program off." The Holographic field vanishes, revealing a young stormtrooper sneaking in with a tray of food, his arm wrapped in a sling. "You should be resting."

"Perhaps concern I hear." The trooper is smirking, Sonya is certain, under that helmet.

"Still too bold for your own good." Sonya puts away her blades.

"What are those?" He asks.

"Lightsabers." She says, more gut response than anything else. "You have no idea what those are."

"Nope." The trooper says. "As long as I am being too bold for my own good, may I inquire the lady's name?"

Sonya smirks walking to him and taking the tray. "Sonya Yon," she says with a controlled voice. "You're lucky I worked up an appetite."

"You don't like your name..." The trooper notes. Sonya shifts in surprise. "Your eyes lose a few sparks when something you don't like comes up." He explain. Sonya looks at him surprised by his observation. He must have been stationed near her to have viewed her enough to note something so small, as well as be exceedingly good observation skills. Why the heck isn't he afraid of her, then? Wait, her eye sparkle?! Sonya mentally shake the thought away.

Sonya tilts her head in contemplation for a moment, "Sunny. My fam... The people that cared about me used to call me that..."

The stormtrooper seems mildly surprised, but happy. "Is it alright if I call you Sunny, when we are alone?"

"That would highly inappropriate." Sonya smirks, giving permission with her eyes rather than her voice. "I given my name, it's only fair you give yours."

The young trooper lifts his helmet off with one hand. A young man of seventeen looks back at her with eyes the same shade of purple as lavada and slightly long red hair coming off in the beginning of curls. It wasn't Mara's bright red hair, but a much more subtle almost strawberry blonde hair. It is a startling look that would have set many people on edge, but Sonya supposed if she let herself she'd find him handsome. For her, his most prominent feature is the kindness in his eyes. He probably joined the Empire thinking it gave stability or something. She wondered how long it would take for him to see the evil of the Empire. "Chance. Chance Sorayu." He smirks.

"Chance?" Sonya asks.

"Yeah, my mom was a bit of a party girl in her teens. She was going down a bad path when she got pregnant with me. Dear old Dad abandoned her." His voice becomes unusually bitter. "She was hurt so bad by that. Most people would have given up. But she turned it around for me. She called me her second chance."

"Your mother has a rare strength." Sonya smiles.

"Had." Chance looks away.

Sonya takes his hand, and surprising herself with the sincerity of her voice, "I'm sorry."

Chance nods. "I had better return to my post." He returns his helmet to his head and leaves.

* * *

Ezra sighs as he looks at the picture Sabine had given him for his birthday, the stars in the window behind the image frame it. His head is filled to the brim on things he knows he shouldn't dwell on. Kanan walks up behind him, "Hey..."

"Hey..." Ezra sighs.

"You okay?" Kanan asks.

Ezra lets out a sad chuckle, "Not really. And I know I should push it to the back of mind since there is nothing I can do. That's how I've always survived."

"That's not the healthiest choice," Kanan says, looking at the picture. The man and the woman... They looked familiar... "But the alternatives aren't always healthy, either." Kanan admits.

"I... Before Sabine found this picture, I couldn't remember what they looked like. It hurt so bad to think about them... Then when I realize I couldn't see them in my memories it was too late... So, I clutched harder to their voices, Mom's stories, Dad's singing. I never could let myself forget Su- _Her_. I remembered her the most..." Ezra close his eyes.

Kanan looks at the picture then realizes something strange, but he decide it was better not to ask. Ezra still catches the unspoken question. "Sunny was the one who took the picture." Ezra gets up and turns off the holodisk. "I'm going to go meditate." He give Kanan a smile, before heading to his room.

**A big thank you goes to Paint the Wolf for reviewing. Sorry, I didn't mean to confuse your shipper. Love the quote. Thank you xEPICxBULLSEYEx for favoriting and following. Thank you Notrandomatall for following. So, why not be random? Thank you everyone for taking the time to read my latest chapter. Now time to imitate Charlotte wishing on the evening star in Princess and the Frog. PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEEEEAAAASSSSEEEE! Review! I love it when people review!**


	8. Chapter 8: The Favor

**RUHLSAR000 Here! I call this arc the amazing expanding arc. It started off as one chapter. Then it got too long and I had split it into two. Then chapter two got too long. So I decide to turn it into a trilogy. Then the third chapter was getting long and I wrote the perfect place to end it on a cliffhanger. I sat there for five minutes before I said "Kriff it!" I couldn't not use it that cliffhanger. So it became four chapters. Finally, I cut a character that, while cool, would have just made the amount of OCs in this story unbearable. I hate using too many OCs as I find it confusing when reading and they are rarely fleshed out. The only reason I bend it in here, is because the series seems to demand it given how vast it is. Any who, I apologize for delays, errors, and long-winded author's note. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! ALL HAIL EMPEROR MOUSE!**

"Vivi!" Aeries calls, looking for the kid she has taken under her wing. She didn't have her cloak on, leaving her in a black T-shirt. The left sleeve hangs loose, no arm to fill it.

The four year old in question smirks, a small giggle escaping her lips, from the top of the Gale, her doll tucked into her pocket. Aeries smirks realizing where she is. Just as Aeries walks under the spot Vivi is, Vivi hooks her legs on to the Gale and leans upside downs, her face right above Aeries. "Rawwrrrr!" Aeries pretends to jump, then grabs with her one arm her, swing her around slowly letting them fall on the ground.

"I'm going to get you for that!" Aeries starts tickling her.

Vivi tries to squirm away. "No! No!" She says between laughs. Aeries ends it with raspberry to the belly. Talia smiles gently watching the scene. I took her a while, but she now understands why Ezra never stopped the Little Ehn, the twins and Cely from wasting calories on play when he was the one watching over them, despite things being harder then. Surviving also requires a will to live and these moments, give them and her a reason to have the will. That's hard to find when you live with the reality that things won't get better.

But for now they need to move. "Alright, we need to pack up and move out!" Talia calls over the tribe.

* * *

Ezra remembers how unhappy Kanan was when Kanan found out the length Ezra went to find him. Though, Kanan also understood why he went to such length. Still, there is the matter of the favor, and Vizago has come to collect.

"Her name's Viviana. I want you to find her." Visago says. "Surely, it won't be to hard with your skills." He refers to the Jedi in vague term, clearly knowing that this is information too valuable for even his own crew should know.

"They don't work like that." Kanan states. "But if we find her our debt is clear."

"And if you don't, the favor is still owed." Vizago makes it clear.

This is better than they could have hoped for in returning a favor to Vizago. It doesn't appear dangerous. It isn't necessarily bad. The kid, though Ezra has yet to see the photo of her, is too young to have any knowledge on shipments of blasters. Ezra also gathered she isn't human, so she wasn't a daughter of a high ranking Imperial officer. In fact, from the facts given, it sounds like she is a street kid.

Yet, something doesn't sit right with Ezra. Ezra's mind flashes back to the trappers, to the crime lords, to Hand's and his gang, and all the other horrid people who had tried to take advantage of him in his youth. Ezra swallows the bile rising up in his throat. Ezra tightens his hand into a fist to prevent it from trembling. "Why do you want her?" Ezra asks, surprising everyone as he had hung slightly back through the interactions.

"My intentions are my business." Vizago says, addressing the kid he made the deal with.

"I am trying to make sure she won't get hurt." Ezra says, almost challengingly.

"Harming children is against my code." Vizago says.

"Then you're more moral than most out there, if what you say is true." Ezra says, plain as day. He never would have believed he'd be saying that. "There are plenty of people who will take advantage of anyone in a desperate situation, child or not."

Vizago pauses, his emotions heavily hidden. To everyone's surprises, he ask, "What kinds of people on Lothal?"

"Tons. Trappers, child molesters, murders, gangs," Ezra continues his list for a good two minute, causing everyone to look slightly sick. Vizago's gang may be arms dealer but even for them directly harming children is off limits.

"Alright, alright. Enough." Vizago says, having enough of the nightmare fuel. Ezra says two more types of people before stopping. Vizago waves his crew away. He sigh, "The girl is my daughter. I left her with her mother as clearly this." He point to his ship, _The Broken Horn,_ "Is not a good place for children. I found out a year ago, her mother was arrested for a few comments against the Empire a year prior. I tried to track down what happen to my daughter, however everything related to her in the imperial data bases has been erased."

"That's not unusual. There are about three hundred cases on Lothal of that happening to kids since the Empire was founded. Though only seventy six are still alive, if there has been no recent changes." Ezra comments. "It nearly impossible for a two year old taken to survive." His tone is matter of fact, as if to say deal with it. Though he adds on quickly after he realizes how harsh that sounded to non-takens, "Unless she was picked up by a tribe or another taken. That does happen a lot." He fudges the truth a bit. It certainly is more common now when compared to the past, but that isn't saying much.

"We will try and find her." Kanan stops the conversation.

"I look forward to further business." Vizago says, returning to his ship.

The crew returns to the ship. "So, where d'we start? You going to use the Force and sense her?" Zeb asks.

Kanan shakes his head, "No, it doesn't work like that. I'd have to know her really well and be in close proximity to her to be able to find her force signature. We'll have to do this the hard way."

"But Vizago has already run those leads dry, no doubt." Sabine sits down, putting the datapad on the table. Ezra rolls his eyes, taking the datapad. Vizago probably wasn't asking the right people. Most information on his daughter's location would be news and rumors swapped while trading run ins or at the one or two meetings of multiple tribes a year. And the likely hood of an outsider getting that info is unlikely do to some codes among the taken that vary from guidelines to binding. The only reason the crew knows as much as they did is because the Wind Tribe trusts Ezra and trust his judgement. Even then, there is simply a lot Ezra really couldn't explain and wouldn't be understood by non-takens.

Ezra looks at the picture of Vizago's daughter. He jaw drops. Well, if he hadn't been convinced of the fact the Force works in mysterious ways before, he is now. Ezra gets up. Zeb, Sabine, and Kanan still arguing over the next course of action. He goes up to Hera. "We need to go to Goran City." He says calmly, the others don't notices.

"What make you think this girl will be there?" Hera raises one of her tattooed eyebrows.

"I don't." Ezra says, "But the Wind Tribe was very low on detox and that is one of the only places for takens to get detox, meaning they'll have had to make a trip to Goran's black market. And given Viviana or Vivi is a member of the Wind Tribe..."

"Setting course for Goran City." Hera turns and heads to the cockpit.

Kanan looks up, "What just happened?"

* * *

Vivi chase after Aeries around the campsite as the sun lowers itself towards the horizon, shouting at the top of their lungs as she jumps to see over the grass that is taller than her. Considered to be unfarmable, the Sona Plain is for the most part uninhabited. That and the large animal population means, that the Sona Plain is a taken's haven. Vivi trips over some dug up roots. Vivi stifles her call of pain, those needed to be saved for bad injuries, but her knee still hurts. And someone notices. Collin kneels right beside her. "You okay?"

"Knee..." Vivi admits, looking ready to cry.

"Let me see." He say. She lets him examine it. It was a mere scrap, not even breaking skin but it still hurt. "Well, well, very serious. But want to know a secret." Vivi nods. Collin looks around and spots Vivi's doll lying on the ground. Aeries picks it up and wipes it onto her cloak, before hugging it tight and kissing it. The green haired doll, named Miranda after Aeries's favorite Jedi story, had been made by Ezra for Aeries when he first found her at age two. It had come to be her most prized possession. It got rid of her nightmares and reminded her of Ezra. So, everyone had been shocked when she gave it "on loan" to Vivi during her first week with the tribe. It and the Tribe's stories helped Vivi through the first few months. It now means just as much to Vivi as Aeries. Collin momentarily wondered who the doll would end up with, though it doesn't matter. Both girls are together and it's going to stay that way. But Aeries interrupts his train of thought with a swift nod, returning him to his plan. "Miranda doesn't just chase nightmares away." He whispers.

"She doesn't." Vivi hiccups.

"No-" Collin lets Aeries jump in and interrupts.

"No. Not even pain can stand up to this amazing Jedi!" Aeries lands right in front of Vivi and makes blaster noise as she moves the dolls tiny stick lightsaber, as if blocking. After a moment, she hand the doll to Vivi. "You try."

Vivi immediately starts playing along. With a laugh, she gets up and starts running again, holding the doll in the air. Collin tilts his head and says half-heartedly and all amused, "I didn't know Jedi could fly."

"There's a lot we don't know about the Jedi. With the Empire smear campaign against anyone who doesn't agree with them." Sophia's voice surprises. Then she bitterly adds, "I wish I had seen it sooner." Sophia sits down beside him. Has it only been two years since her parents were taken away for helping her uncle who refused to give up their land? For Collin, it feels like she had been there forever.

"It wasn't your fault." Collin says.

"I was fifteen when they were taken, fifteen." She snaps. Most parents were taken when the kid was seven to ten for some reason. Vivi and Talia were unusual young, at two. Sophia was unusually old at fifteen. "I could have... I should have..."

"What?" Collin looks at her. "What could you have done against the Empire? If you had tried something, you'd be dead." Sophia looks at the thirteen year old, surprised by the amount of conviction he has. Sophia remembered herself at thirteen. All she was worried about was if her crush would ask her to the dance or stupid things like that. Collin had just been put out on the street at the time. How messed up can the universe be? Sophia lays down on the ground, looking at the blue sky. When she was fifteen she was scared of getting bugs and dirt in her hair, not so much now. It will never be much consolation, but her time in the tribe had changed her. She noticed little things now, lived for little things. The blue sky. The sparkle in a child's eye when they completed a new story book or problem. The rare blush on Talia's face when Orin was able to tease her enough to be embraced.

"We know one thing about the Jedi." Sophia smirks. Collin looks at her. "We know Ezra will never admit his parents were the Jedi and the clonetrooper from that story."

Collin lies down, laughing, "Yeah, and Talia is forever sure they were." Collin stops laughing suddenly, sitting up. "Is that a ship?"

Sophia looks up, squinting, "Yes." Collin doesn't need any more instructions, he jumps up and runs to Talia, Sophia not far behind. The one bad thing about the plains is there is no place to hide. They find her not too far away, with Zhu, a seven year old half human half something they weren't quite sure of with bowl cut brown hair, and Parts.

"Pull back the bow string with your shoulders" Talia puts her hand between his shoulders, where he should be feeling it. Zhu breathes, pulling back the arrow to his chin.

"Talia! Ship!" Talia and Zhu's heads shoot up. Zhu lets down the arrow and begins packing. Talia jumps up on top of the Gale, everyone follows her sight. Talia closes her eyes, as do Aeries, Mzia, Yue, and Zhu. Everyone holds with a bated breath.

Orin moves first, "Gather what you can! Cloie get the water away!"

"But it's not finished boiling!" Sophia calls back, eyeing the water on the fire, just now starting to boil.

"We'll boil it later!" Orin yells.

Talia smirks, before looking to the other four, who are also smirking, "That won't be necessary." She hops down from the Gale. "The Wind says friendly. All the same, Aeries, Vivi, Alex, blasters in hand. The rest of you, on guard." Everyone rushes to get their weapons and in place as the ship lands. The ramp opens, revealing Ezra.

Aeries drops her weapon and tackles him, followed by Caleb and Rodi. Vivi jumps in after her favorite siblings. Mzia and Yue aren't far behind. The only reason Cely doesn't join them is she doubts she'll easily be able to get up. Another reason for her to wish she'd never lost the use of her legs to a bad batch of the trapper's hunting toxin.

Vivi proceeds to jump on Ezra's stomach. Ezra groans, "Really, Vivi, them." He points his finger to the dog pile, "I can understand. But come on." Vivi just smiles bigger. "You're going to be a trouble maker."

"Going to be? Coruscant, I think you underestimate her abilities. When compared to you... She still doesn't measure up, but no one can." Talia smirks, before clapping twice. "Alright, off the reckless troublemaker." The group jumps up, except for Aeries who is wrapped around him in a vise grip. After a moment Caleb and Rodi return, latching onto the now standing Ezra legs. "You know, when I said don't be a stranger, I didn't think you come calling so soon." Ezra just looks at her for a moment. "This isn't a social call, is it?" Ezra shakes his head. "Orin." Talia starts but he is already heading up the ramp. The Little Ehn let go of Ezra as Talia approaches. They both hop on to the ship.

The Tribe continues its business. Cloe, a seven year old human with fiery red hair, holds a water jug as Alex pours in the now safe to drink water, telling some sort of story about his brother and a beehive. As they finish, Collin sneaks up on them, "Did he get stung here?" He tickles a spot on her neck, causing Cloe to giggle.

Alex smirks, "No, but he did get stung here." He tickles the other side of her neck. Cloe tickles back. Soon they are on the ground gasping through giggles. Zhu roles his eye before being dragged into the fight.

Aeries and Caleb practices their story tell on Vivi and Rodi, using the doll as a puppet of sorts. Vivi claps when then Jedi reunites with her family years after being separated. It's a part that the Tribe had added to the story. It is an unsaid truth that everyone knows, they all want to reunite with their families even if it is just a few hours. Well, maybe not Caleb, but that is very complicated. Vivi, herself, didn't know if she would, either. She didn't really remember her mother and even less of her father. To her, her tribe is family. After fifteen minutes, Cely joins them, happy to sit down for a moment of not worrying.

Sophia is going over some lay outs of Imperial food storage units a few hours away with Parts. She is more of a planner than an acter, but it definitely has its uses.

After an hour, Talia and Orin walk out of the ship. Talia rubs her temple, under the rim of her helmet. Orin calls out, "Vivi, can you come here a moment?"

"What did I do?" Vivi yells back.

"Nothing. Just come over here." Orin says. Vivi comes up and Orin leads her into the ship.

Talia yells over the campsite. "I will be back tomorrow. Late. There is a matter I need to look into. Listen to Orin. I'll be on com." A wave of worry passes over the tribe. Very rarely did Talia leave the tribe for any significant period of time. Heck, very few of the original nine members of the tribe, Talia, Orin, the Little Ehn, the Twins, Parts and Cely, really wander off. Something to do with it making their skin crawl due to the Fire tribe. The others only vaguely understood why. Vivi and Orin come back out within five minutes, though Vivi seems shaken. Vivi runs into the Gale before anyone can ask what's wrong.

"See you tomorrow," Talia turns to Orin. "Try not to destroy anything."

"My dear, when have I ever destroyed anything?" Orin smirks, then seeing her look adds, "Not owned by the Empire." Talia shrugs. Orin brushes his callused hand against her right exposed lekku. Talia smiles. "See you tomorrow." Orin smiles. Talia walks onto the ship, which takes off with a few minutes.

* * *

"So do you have any leads?" Visago asks, his usual cocky voice.

"We did." Kanan answers. Visago waves his crew away.

"What did you find?" Visago asks, less cocky now more serious.

"Just the person who has been raising Viviana for the last two years." Ezra says, stepping forward, then to the side. Talia stands in full view, her white poncho gone, her tight long sleeve shirt, black tights and shorts replacing it. Three different blades are visible in different holsters, and Ezra knows she carries at least two more. "This is Talia, she's been looking after Viviana. She is willing to talk to you about custody. Considering her ability to put a blade into a fly's wings without killing it at twenty paces, I'd strongly recommend not pissing her off."

Vizago reacts understandably doubtful, "How old are you?"

"Fifteen." Talia's eye narrow. Ezra facepalms and mumbles something about "I just said". Talia, seeing his doubt, says, "I've been on my own since I was two. I know more about how to survive being a taken's child than most taken's children and certainly more than you. And the only way, and I mean the only way, for you to get your daughter, if what you claim is true, is if you can prove you can be a safer home for her than me AND she wants to go with you. You approach her any other way, I swear I will shoot you right through your kriffin heart, no matter how small it is. Are we clear?" With any other fifteen year old who is on the small side, Vizago would have laughed at her, but the way Talia carried herself made him certain that she could and, more importantly, would carry out such a threat.

Vizago breathes, trying to strategies, "Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot."

"I don't care about feet, this isn't dance class." Talia says. "You are going to answer my questions, truthfully. You will get three chances to be truthful. I will know when you lie to me. Then, I will make my decision on whether you are good choice for a guardian. Then, if you get my blessing, Viviana decides what she wants, alone. Oh, and the deal with the rebels, it's done no matter what happens." Talia tacks on that last bit, as she had planned on since Ezra explained the entire story. The crew is clearly surprised by this, with a few jaws dropped. "If not, I am walking."

Vizago looks at Kanan, "Did you tell her to say that?" Kanan shakes his head, still clearly overcoming surprise. They barely know the girl, with the exception of Ezra, why would she do that. Ezra, after getting over his initial surprise, released she is already testing Vizago. Talia knows there are two Jedi on the _Ghost_ crew. A favor from them is valuable to say the least. He eyeballs her. The glare in her eye is like she is going to war. Her head is high and confidence is oozing out of her. It has to be a test.

Talia looks over the man who is Vivi's father. Even if they had tried to stay out of the black market, it was still a vital life line for them. And her contacts had had plenty to say over the years about Vizago. While normally dealing with high names and highly expensive weapons, Vizago's merchandise did manage to whine it way through the system. Both Zhu and Mzia had blasters that had passed through VIzago's hands at one time or another. Vizago only cared about money. He certainly didn't seem like the fatherly type. "Three." Talia turns away. "Two." She starts walking away.

"Fine." Vizago says.

Talia turns back, "Alright. Coruscant." Ezra looks up. "Go back into the ship. I don't want your reactions to clue him in."

Ezra nods, "Me stay would only hurt his chances, right?" One look was enough to confirm that. He sighs and walked out of earshot. Talia glances at the others. They quickly make themselves scarce but close enough to listen in.

"What do you do for a living?" Talia starts.

"I am an euntpenuer, Miss Tail?" Vizago says.

"And what do you sell?" Talia asks, looking straight in his eyes. She certainly knows how to intimidate. No one looks straight into someone else's eyes. Vizago wasn't easily intimidated, and now was not an exception. Still, coming up with a believable lie while under scrutiny is always interesting. Especially since Talia wasn't intimidated, she knows she holds the cards.

"Mining equipment and the like." Vizago lies quickly and easily enough

"Seriously? I don't need my special gift to know that's a load. Two more lies and I am kriffn leaving." Talia rolls her eyes. "I know you are an arms dealer. I don't care how you make your money. I am trying to find out if you are a good home for Viviana. Now, on average, how many times a month do you have run ins with bucket-heads?"

"Oh, rarely, if ever." Vizago says.

"One more lie and I am gone along with your daughter. I suggest you start sing the truth." Talia glares at him. "Now, how often do you get away from the stormtroopers and how many crew members have been captured by the Empire?"

"Always and three."Vizago answers, truthfully

Talia nods, digesting that, "Next question..."

* * *

Vivi lies on top of the Gale. Did she want to go with him? She'd have to leave her family. But, if she didn't would they be able to look at her? If they could, would it be a sad look? She'd have been given their dream and spit at it.

She is grateful that no one had been told. She needs to think alone. This is a big decision. That is another thing. She isn't a little starry eye innocent girl anymore. She knows hunger. She knows sorrow. She has seen death of friends, even. She's helped kill a few animals during hunting. Aeries has even taught her to shot, and Vivi is good enough for her to be considered one of the best in the tribe. Would her father not want a daughter who has seen to much? She squeezes her doll tighter to her. Miranda was brave enough to face any challenge, defend anything. So, why isn't she helping Vivi now?

"Vivi! Want to have a shooting contest? Alex is running his mouth about his abilities again." Aeries calls out. Vivi rolls over, not in the mood. "Vivi?"

Orin comes up and ushers her away, "She just needs alone time." Aeries bites her lip, but nods. She'll give Vivi space. A shiver goes through Aeries's body.

"You okay?" Orin asks.

Aeries is about to shrug it off, but stops as she by fluke looks up at the right moment. That's when she sees a group of dots heading towards them. That's when she realizes it wasn't cold, but the Wind. She turns to Orin, who is looking at them. "Everyone! Into the Gale, now! Leave anything that's not a weapon!" Orin screams. Everyone is in immediately. Vivi clutches her doll before grabbing a blaster. "Sophia! Take the wheel!" Orin orders. They are moving at top speed before he finishes the order. Cely and Orin share a look, it won't matter how fast they go.

* * *

Talia sighs. Vizago is a nerfherder. BUT, he really loves his daughter. Her knowledge of lying and the Wind both confirm his sentiments. Who was she to keep them apart? An overprotective banshee, that's who.

"I have no more questions, Vizago. However, it will take some time for me to decide and more importantly Viviana to decide." Viviana feels strange on her tongue. It has always been Vivi, never Viviana. Frankly, Talia doubted Vivi even remembered in her waking mind her name was Viviana Vizago. "There is the possibility that Viviana will not want to see." Talia holds up her hand to stop his protest, "You have to see it from her point of view. A strange man she doesn't know is try to take her from those she loves. No familial title can change that. If I determine you are a good guardian for her, I'll try and convince her to meet you. But the choice is hers, and hers alone. Good bye, Vizago. I will return in a week with my answer." She turns and marches back onto the _Ghost_.

Ezra walks up to Vizago after a few moments, "That went really well." Vizago stares at him in surprise. "What? She didn't flat out say no. She is actually going to think about it. And given that she is an over-protective banshee on a good day, that is no small feat. I feel weird saying this, but good luck." Ezra turns back to the ship and dashes inside. Vizago sighs, this is going to be a long week.

Ezra finds Talia with her head in her hands, leaning over the holo-chess board. Hera has gone to take off and the others are sitting around, trying not to glance at Talia, not quite sure of how to approach her, though they were all curious as to what is going to happen. Ezra rolls his eyes and stands right in front of her. "So, a credit for your thoughts?"

Talia looks up at him, before leaning back, "I just don't know what to do, Love." That nickname. She used to call him it all the time, even though nothing romantic ever happened between them and frankly the idea made them both want to hurl. She had told him once she called him that because he was the first person she could remember loving her, loving her as a sister. Ezra sits down next to her and she needs no more prompting, "He is genuine. He truly loves her. He wants to be in her life. He can give her things the tribe can't dream of."

"But." Ezra says, knowing there is more.

"But... Can he keep her safe? I don't mean from his business, I have no doubts there..." Talia sighs, rubbing her face again, "A year and a half ago, a kid became a taken. But, he had an aunt who stepped up and took him in. As lucky as he was, it left him unprepared. He didn't know what he needed to know. What the taken had to teach him. He got picked up by trappers six months after his parents were taken away. He's out there somewhere a slave. Or he's dead. All because he didn't know to run. Another time, a boss of some big company stepped up to raise his grandson after he became a taken. The kid didn't know to beware Hands. And you know what Hands does. If Vivi goes with her father, what's to stop her from becoming like that? What if I haven't taught her enough? She's only four."

"And you were only two when the Empire took you to be a slave, taking you of your home planet. You got out, with no one looking out for you." Ezra says. Talia shakes her head, no doubt thinking that it was only luck that the transport crashed on Lothal. "I am not trying to change your mind one way or the other but it is something to think about."

"I suppose I should talk with Vivi. We have some time-"

_"WIND 1!"_ Orin's voice comes through the com, as does blaster fire.

The com is at Talia's lips before anyone can blink, "Wind 2. What's wrong?"

"Trappers! Everywhere... Surrounded... We won't be making the meeting... I lo-" His statement is cut off by blaster fire and a scream.

"Wind 2! Wind 2! Orin answer me! You kriffin nerfherder answer me!" Talia screams into the com. "Orin!" She waits a few moments. "Cely!" A few more moments. "Sophia!" Nothing. Ezra is barely able to breathe through the knot forming in his throat. "Mzia!" Everyone stares at her, getting more worried with each name. "Yue!" "Zhu!" "Alex!" "Aeries!" "Rodi!" "Caleb!" "Parts!" "Cloe!" "Vivi!" Her only answer is static.

* * *

**Thank you xEPICxBULLSEYEx, Paint the Wolf, and guest (You know who you are!:-D) so much for reviewing. Reviews make the sun come out, and given how overcast it has been recently, it is much appreciated. Thank you Ichichi05 for following my story. Knowing you like it enough to continue reading my story makes me very happy.**

**Let's see if we can break the record of four review in four one chapter this week!**


	9. Chapter 9: Decisions

**RUHLSAR000 Here! I forgot to mention in last chapter that the removal of that character turned this back into a trilogy. So yeah. But anyway, I want to apologize for missing last week's update. The evils of finals. What can you do? I feel really guilty. But, I do have a special announcement. I am planning a special chapter not related to the main plot in celebration of the Seige of Lothal. That could be very funny taken out of context. This chapter will not be directly related to the plot but will exist within this AU and will be released same day as the Seige of Lothal. Hope that gets you all excited. Any who, I apologize for delays, errors, and long-winded author's notes. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! IT IS OWNED BY THE LORD OF OUR CHILDHOOD, MICKEY MOUSE!**

* * *

Sonya had thought she couldn't have been more disgusted with the Empire. Sonya honestly feels some amount of bile rise up in her mouth. Sonya knows the evil of the Empire better than most slack jaws here and in the rebellion. She knew they had no qualms about harming children. She shouldn't have been surprised that something like this exists. Yet, she is. She scans the files on the takens of Lothal on the datapad she had been given. Apparently, there have been numerous robberies by the takens of imperial goods. Tarkin wants her to find out if they have any connection to the Lothal Rebels. Leading a group of specialized stormtroopers to capture a so called tribe had been easy. Now, she watches as the head of this little known division interrogates a so called taken, a leader of the tribe if their data is correct.

Her heart twists as she realize this would have been a daily threat to Ezra as he grew up on _this_ planet. _This _man, this slimy man, no doubt caused her brother great pain in the past. She resist the urge to kill this man where he stands. The fifteen year old screams echo down the maze of halls, to the holding cells. A design in the building, specific for breaking the children before they are sent to other planets or sold into slavery.

The head of the department, who Sonya didn't care enough to know his name and whose most charming feature is that someone had the decency to blind his right eye, turns off the electricity, "Now, Orin, is it? Tell me what you know of the rebels."

"Go kriff yourself. I know nothing about the rebels you seek." Orin looks straight ahead not even blinking.

Sonya's eyes narrow, "It is not wise to lie to me." Orin's eye narrow at her, sizing up the mystery girl in the corner. Sonya assumed that he has had encounters with the department head before and knows what to expect. Her, not so much.

Two troopers walk in with a four year old devarorian. The department head smirks, "I suppose it is time to get to the _heart_ of the matter at hand."

"Vivi." Orin gasps as he leans forward, pain choking itself out of his voice. "Vivi! You sick son of a -" He is cut off by electricity zapping through his veins. The department head takes a nasty looking devise and approaches the child. Sonya steps in front of the man.

"Inquisitor Yon." He says, not particularly happy that he is being interrupted. Sonya notices the boy's eye widen for a second in what seemed akin to surprise.

"That's far enough. I will not have a four year old uselessly tortured in my presence." Sonya looks at her nails as it they were discussing some color or something.

"I believe it is necessary to break the taken leader." He glares at her.

"But that's just it, Sir. We aren't trying to break him. Broken means he won't answer my questions. He is useless to me broken." Sonya says, rolling her eyes internally at how stupid the man is being. To get information, the boy needed to be damaged not shattered. Why does no one understand that?

"I know far more than you do about interrogation of takens." He has the gall to say. Sonya flicks her wrist, sending the man into a wall. Then, as he is trying to regain his breath, she begins Force choking him. Slowly, she walks up to him staring him in his eyes.

"You have no idea what I know. Remember. You are helping me. They are yours to do with as you wish after I get my information." She flings him to the ground. "You may continue the interrogation as I return the girl to their cell." The two stormtroopers don't even pretend not to scatter from her as she grabs the girl's shaking hand and drags her down the maze like halls. It takes her half an hour to find her way through the maze of corridors to the holding cells.

A voice whispers through the air as they approach. "Miranda smiles at Zara. Zara wasn't happy with her master's love affair, but it wasn't her secret to tell." Sonya freezes at the story, before storming into the cell with a number of the tribe in it and pushing the girl into it. She turns to see the storyteller, a nine year old girl with one arm.

"Where did you learn that story?" Sonya demands. Aeries ignores her.

* * *

It wasn't hard finding the Gale as it is still smoking. Kanan stares at the two fifteen year olds as panic etches on each of their faces the closer they get. If Kanan is honest, it's etching its way onto all the crews face, including his. There is some stuff about four hundred meters away from the wreckage. They had been taken by surprise. The Gale itself honestly looked like it would never drive again, no matter how much duck tape they used (And takens can do some pretty impressive thing with duck tape and a few spare parts), with half of it in one pile and the other half scattered around.

Ezra and Talia are out of the ghost before it lands properly. Zeb, Sabine and Kanan are out not long after blasters up, ready for a possible fire fight.

"If you're not dead, speak up!" Talia orders. Only the wind drifting off the plain answers her. "No..." Talia whispers as she starts running through the large pieces of metal. She sees an old medal curtain rod snapped in two, Yue's seeing stick. She sees the crumpled remains of Cely's mech. She sees Alex's blaster, the one his brother used to... Her foot brushes against something soft. She glances down and sees Vivi and Aeries's doll. She scoops it up and hugs it. Every ounces of her being is filled with terror. She could have done nothing to stop this if she was here. She knows that. Yet, voices still yell at her that she could have.

"Talia!" Ezra's voice breaks through her blame. She looks up running to the source. She sees him kneeling down next to Cely. Parts, beat up worse than ever, beeps next to him. Cely's left arm clutches something and her right wrist is bent at a strange angle.

"She's okay, all things considered." Ezra says as Talia kneels besides them. "Judging by the empty detox container in her hand and the distance from her mech. She got hit with a parallaxes dart and had to crawl here on a broken wrist.

"Talia... Ezra..." A soft voice calls out.

They look up and after a minute spot Cloe buried under a large piece of the Gale. They rush over there. Both getting on either side of her without so much as a glance at each other. "On three." Ezra says, grabbing his side of the piece

"Three." Talia say lifting it. Both of them grunt from the exertion but it doesn't move.

"They left because they didn't have the equipment to move it..." Cloe says, tears running down her cheeks. "You need to go... They could be back..." Cloe say, trying to be brave, though it is clear she is terrified.

"Talia! Step back!" Ezra orders.

Talia starts to argue "I'm not-"

"Be prepared to pull her out." Ezra cuts her off. Talia looks at him unsure of his plan but trusting him anyway. Ezra breathes and closes his eye. He stretches out his hands, feeling the Force as it flows through everything and every being. He focuses on the piece on Cloe. Using the Force that is flowing through him, he pushes the piece upward. It is heavy and doesn't want to move. He grits his teeth. It. Has. To. Move. Somehow he moves it a foot up. That's all Talia need. She swoops in and pulls Cloe out by the shoulders. As soon as they are clear, Ezra drops the piece with a thud.

"They need to medical attention." Talia says, checking over Cloe's mangled legs, not bothering to question what just happened. Sabine, Zeb and Kanan rush over. They get them onto the ship.

Talia is still on the ground, looking west. Ezra looks at her. Talia looks back to Ezra, "I need to go after the other. Can you make sure they are treated?"

Ezra looks to Kanan, "Can you get them treated? Please! I need to go with her. She'll need back up." Kanan opens his mouth to protest him going alone but Ezra beats him to it. "These two need all the help they can get. And we don't have time to brief anyone on security at the Pin. We know it. We have to go now."

Kanan looks his padawan over, before sighing. "Take a speeder."

"Thank you." Ezra nods, grabbing his bike. The two get on.

"Keep your com on." Kanan calls before the two start riding. The remain crew rushes the two to the med bay to administer first aid

* * *

Ezra glares down at the Pin, not liking that he is running into that awful place blind, lying in the tall grasses. Sure, he knows how trappers think, but the Pin is under constant changing floor plan to confuse escape and rescue attempts. Unlike most Empire facilities, the vents are not a viable option here as they are made so you can't even fit your head into them. "They beefed up the sensors." Ezra notes looking at the tower.

"Beef it up the sensors all they want, they still have to let things in." Talia says, eyeing the dirt road next to them. A supple transport is heading down the road. Ezra nods, as it pass the jump on the side and then shimmy to the top. Laying in the center they avoid the searches. As the large landing area becomes deserted again, they hop down and stay low.

"Does no one look up?" Ezra whispers.

"Don't look a ton ton in the mouth, Coruscant." Talia hushes. She glances up at a trapper coming to close, with a smirk. Ezra nods, taking out his lightsaber and blasting him. Talia catches him before he hit the ground. "It'd be nice if you were tall enough to pass as one." Talia mumbles, as they drag him to a crate that didn't have an air tight seal.

Ezra nods, grabbing the trapper's map of the place. They examine it. "You get the other. I deactivate the power to turn off their big guns and com systems." Ezra nods, trying to hand her the map.

Talia shakes her head, "It doesn't look like they have changed the path to the power generator since I last broke in here. DON'T ASK. I'll be fine. You need it more." Ezra nods. "Be careful." Talia adds as he turns.

"You too." Ezra says. He can't help hoping it doesn't turn out like last time they broke into an Imperial base together.

* * *

_ The three of them got the supplies. And they got out. Ezra had just let his guard down, when a trapper comes out of nowhere and grabs him. Talia and Orin have their respective weapons pinned on the two faster than most people could see._

_ "Put the weapons down." The trapper holds a blaster to Ezra's head. Ezra notes it's set to kill. Unusual. Ezra flashes with his hand a five, a one, a fist, another five, and another one. The hand signal for maneuver 66. Their second least favorite plan, right after Operation: Root Canal. Ezra would never do maneuver 66 if he didn't trust Orin and Talia. It required absolute trust before, during and after it was launched._

_ Talia shift her eyes left and right, _No_. Ezra repeats the motion, not needing to remind them that more trappers are on the way. Talia blinks, agreeing. Orin blinks, ready. Talia smirks confident she can make the shot right where it needs to be. She release the arrow, hitting Ezra in the leg._

_ Ezra topple down unable to hold himself up, being dropped by the surprised trapper. Immediately, Ezra knows something has gone wrong. The pain is far more than the last time they had to use 66._

_ Orin shoots the trapper in the right eye, stunning him and probably blinding that eye. Talia stops grabs Ezra, Orin grabs the food. But they don't make it far, taking shelter in a warehouse nearby to take stock of the injury. They all pale as they look at it._

_ "I hit too high..." Talia whispers, trying to stem the blood flow. "If I pull it out, without anything to colorize it, he'll bleed out..." Ezra tries to steady his breath._

_ Orin looks out into the street biting back tears, "We can't stay."_

_ "Ezra can't be moved." Talia says._

_ "No, we can't stay." Orin says, pain lacing into his voice. Talia catches his meaning, slowly shaking her head trying to deny it. Ezra is more focused on ignoring the pain, missing the conversation._

_ "Talia, trapper will be here soon. He will slow us down, so none of us get away. Besides that, we'll be left behind too if we wait any longer. It's not like Axel is going to let us wait to treat Ezra, once will get back anyway. Even if we by some miracle do make it back, and we treat Ezra, which we are not supplied for this bad of a bleed, he could easily die of infection or of a reopened wound. I'm sorry but I am leaving." Orin says, turning._

_ "Wait..." Talia says, reaching for Ezra's blasters. The ones he is constantly modifying._

_ Ezra looks at her, grasping what is happening. "Talia... Orin... Please..."_

_ Talia can't look him in the eye as she takes the blasters, he won't be needing them, "I'm sorry." She gets up and goes to Orin. As they leave, Ezra pleas fill their ears and they can't tell if it is him or his echo reverberating around their heads._

_ After fifteen minutes, Orin freezes in his tracks. "Orin?" Talia asks._

_ Orin looks up at her, rare tears streaming down his cheeks, "Why didn't you stop me?"_

_ Talia looks down as tears stream down her face. Every logical piece of her mind screamed at her to leave him. But Ezra never did operate with logic. Not a word is exchanged as they run back to the warehouse, supplies are forgotten. The ware house is empty. No trappers. No Ezra._

_ Talia looks around. "What do you think happened to him?"_

_ "I don't know." Orin says._

_ "We'll take care of the dependents, until he comes back." Talia say, her voice threaded with fake hope. Orin nods. They grab the supplies and return to the Fire Tribe. They wait one days, two days, a week, a month. After three months, they had lost all hope of ever seeing their brother again. Not long after they and the six dependents plus a robot Ezra had made split from the Fire Tribe, creating the Wind Tribe._

* * *

Sonya senses something familiar, but brushes it aside. She focuses back on Orin. She turns off the electricity. "You're stubborn." She says. "How do you know the rebels?"

"Stop this Sunny," Orin falls forward, gasping for air. "My family has nothing to do with the rebellion. We are just trying to survive."

Sonya's eye widen, taken off guard, "Where did you hear that name?"

"Your brother, he often spoke of you..." Orin starts to realize what he is saying. He pushes himself to stay straight and glares at hers. "Then, you go and cut his arm off." His head is slammed to the side. It takes a moment to realize that Sonya slapped him for both of them.

"I hope you enjoy never seeing your family again." Sonya whispers with venom. The sense returned. This time she recognized it. She turned and leave. She has places to be.

* * *

Talia ducks behind a wall, as the trapper passes. She swings a metal pipe over his head. He falls to the ground with a thud. She shoves him into a closet after taking his map. Alright, she lied and is very lost, but Ezra didn't need to know that. She smirks, reorienting herself. She dashes left then right. She slows to a stop. There is two trappers in front of her, their backs two her, right in front of the computer room which controls everything on base. A dangerous smirk later and she has two arrow equipped with electricity in her hands. She sneaks up to them and jams one arrow into each of them. They topple immediately. They should be out four fifteen minutes. "You are making this way too easy." Talia smirks. Apparently, all the good Trappers are out.

She walks to the door and gives it a good knock. She hears rustling from behind the door. "Karablast! Cluan, you forget your card one more time-" A little man opens the door. She gives a sweet smile and a little wave. "Huttslime." Talia drops down, sweeping out his feet. She tackles him, putting him into a headlock until he passes out. She drops him and takes his access card. She swipes it into the computer. The screen flashes to life. Talia's throat closes.

* * *

Ezra hurries through the hall. The yellow fluorinates change to red flood lights. Talia had succeeded. Now, he just need to himself. After a quick rundown of the map, he continues. He see the corridor split in two up ahead. He needed to go right. He carefully checks the right hallway. He freezes in place. Sonya is leaning against the wall arms crossed. She shift up to stand, removing her lightsabers from their holsters. Ezra quickly grabs his shoto and turns both of his on.

Sonya gently tosses hers aside, "Oh look, I've been disarmed." Ezra's eyes widen but he doesn't lower his guard. "And isn't there something in the Jedi Code preventing you from harming an unarmed opponent." Yeah, that sounds like the Jedi Code, Ezra thinks. He lowers his arms but doesn't turn off the blades, creating a strange mixture of red light swirling around the blue and green lights. They both know she is never unarmed. Sonya sighs, "The Wind Tribe, is it? They are down that hall." She gestures to the left hall. "The maps trappers have are wrong. To trick would be rescuers into a trap. As soon as the flood lights went on, ten of the best troopers on base converged where the map states the cells are."

Ezra's eye narrow. Sonya shrugs. "I have no interest in bring more Force sensitive kids into the dar'yaim I am in." Ezra freezes. "That right, I know. But I will focus on those trained." Sonya watches him. "Look it's your choice to believe me or not." Sonya summons her lightsabers and holsters them. She walks right passed Ezra, down the hallway he came.

Ezra sighs, looking down both hallways in front of him. He has a very important choice to make. One ends in a trap. One, his friends. Right or left?

* * *

Talia looks at the cell in front of her. She knows exactly what it is. The torture chamber. With a sigh, as she tries to expel a headache, she opens the door and smiles.

"Wind 2, time to get up." She goes over and picks the locks.

"Sorry, I couldn't protect the tribe." Orin says weekly.

"Did you raise Hell?" Talia asks, not stopping her picking. She isn't as good as Ezra, but she can manage these.

* * *

**This thank you section is going to be very short. Thank you Paint the Wolf and Ichichi05 for reviewing last chapter. My birthday wish is to get more reviews, so please review.**


	10. Chapter 10: Hope

**RUHLSAR000 Here! And pumped for the Seige of Lothal. So excited I finally made a cover for Ner Vod, which may change in a few weeks when Talia is not major to the plot of the chapter. And yes, I know I accidently put her helmet on her right lekku instead of her left. Just ignore that. So yeah, I apologize for errors, delays, and long-winded author's note. I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! ALL HAIL EMPERIOR MOUSE! I am running out of clever and slightly annoying ways of saying Disney.**

* * *

Vivi is scared for her family. That had been her first concern. But, a second fear edges it way into her mind with each passing hour. What if she never got to meet her father? Earlier today or was it already yesterday, she wasn't even sure she wanted to meet him. Now, with that opportunity torn away from her, she realizes just how much she wanted it back. She still didn't know what she'd do if she ever did meet him, in fact she feels less sure now than she did before, but she just wants to see him. Tears stream down her face.

"Hey," Aeries voice broke through her haze. Vivi looks up at her fellow tribe members. "Wind 1 has broken me out of here five times. She'll break us out again." All of the tribe is scared. Scared of separation, scared of slavery, scared of being taken away to who knows where.

"Wind 1 always had at least Wind 2 and probably Wind Z as back up." Caleb says. Zhu buries his head into Collin's chest. Mzia and Yue, the twins who haven't been apart since their parents were taken over six years ago, cling to each other, knowing they would be ripped apart if no help arrived. Alex sighs looking into a wall, not wanting to permanently leave the planet his family died on. Rodi has been quite in the corner ever since he was shoved into a separate cell with Sophia cutting off visual, though they could still hear his crying.

Then Rodi spoke for the first time since coming here, "If Wind 1 can't get the Wind Tribe out, the Wind Tribe needs to get the Wind Tribe out."

"How? Not even Ezra could pick these locks. They're forty two centimeter constant shifting data locks." Caleb growls back.

"We need to try." Rodi says, before they hear Rodi squeal.

"Wind 5! You okay?" Aeries calls.

After moment the cell doors open, revealing Ezra, with a devious smirk, flanked by Sophia and Rodi. "Who was doubting my lock pick skills?"

Aeries's raises her eyebrows, "And here I thought I was glad to see you earlier." No one needs to be told to start getting out of the cell. "Zhu's ankle is twisted badly. Caleb has a pretty serious cut to his forehead, that's been treated in the loosest sense of the word. My wrist hurts... really badly. Other than that we're all a little banged up or aren't admitting it." Aeries admits. Judging by the looks she was getting, Aeries wrist was one that no one knew about.

"Mixed with Sophia's concussion, this is going to be fun." Ezra sighs, kneeling down for Collin to put Zhu on his back.

Though Caleb feels the need to ask "How did you pick those locks?"

Ezra smirks, "The idiot guard had the keys on him."

* * *

Sonya walks up to the head of this awful little department. He has just finished ordering his men around. "Commander." He turns around to face her, as the troopers leave.

"Inquisitor Yon. We are having a bit of a situation right now." He wipes the sweat from his brow. "Seems the Loth-Vermin have escaped." He turns her back on her.

"Don't turn your back on me, Officer. That is your third mistake." Sonya says, coldly. The man rolls his eyes looking over the data screen. They are alone. She use the Force to lock the door.

A burst of pain shoots through the man's chest. He glances down to see what he recognizes as one of the Twi'lek's arrows poking out of his chest. His legs begin to shake as his knees give out he falls to the floor. Sonya bends down, looking him strait in the eye. "Your second mistake was threatening a four year old in front of me. Your first was threatening my brother, multiple times. Oh, my brother? He's the boy you grabbed the night you lost that." She pointed to his eye patched covered eye. It took quite a bit of digging, but she had found everything this man has done in his carrier.

He died a few moments later. As much as Sonya wish to follow her master's example of not killing other Imperials if possible, she couldn't bring herself to think that he would be too upset with her. Then again, she might just be idealizing her very flawed master.

* * *

Talia rubs her the back of her head, wincing as she come to a tender spot. She and Orin were glancing around the yard. Talia didn't let Orin see her surprise when she noticed the sensors were down. But he knew something is up. Orin glances around the crates they are hiding behind. It seems that ten of the best trappers have appeared out of nowhere. They already had taken three of the trappers out. Since Orin is only able to stay awake through sheer will, Talia had to fight them alone. That had gone as well as they could hope. The three are unconscious at various spots in the Pin, but that last one managed to dislocate her left arm. Any other rescue attempt, Orin would have already popped it back into its socket. But all things considered that hadn't happened...

A hand covers Talia's mouth. Orin immediately goes on the defensive, before relaxing.

"It's me." Talia visibly relaxes at the sound of Ezra's voice. He remove his hand. She turns and smiles at her tribe, almost whole.

"There is a troop transport over there. The only one on base. We swipe that, they won't be able to follow for a while." Talia says.

Ezra nods, "So we sneak-"

"There they are." A trapper yells, sending out a stun bolt. They duck behind the crates

"Or we could barrel in without any weapons." Ezra sighs, exasperated.

Talia chuckles, "Where's the fun in doing it any other way? Move NOW!"

The groups scatter, Mzia taking Orin. Those who can move fast provide cover and distraction for those who can't move as fast. Blaster shots and darts are flying around the place. Aeries snags a blaster from a trapper before stunning him. She starts blasting, single handedly putting the trappers on the defensive with a blaster that is supposed to be wielded with two hands. The blaster causes her wrist throbbing badly, but allows them to make slow progression to the transport.

It was not easy. There are more and more trappers coming, seemingly endless, even if the whole trapper unit of Lothal consist of seventy-two trappers and twelve officers. "Where do they keep coming from?" Zhu groans from Ezra's back.

Sophia shakes her head, trying to clear it. She picks up a blaster, insanely glad that providing cover doesn't require being a good enough shout to hit the enemy. "Personally, I think they clone them." With her starting to see double, her hitting anything will be luck. "I'd like to believe there aren't this many messed up people in the galaxy."

"And the Empire are more than willing to use clones as Ezra's dad can attest. Ain't that right, Kamino?" Talia jokes, using the nickname for Ezra she uses when she want to riley him up. They are all joking, though. The trappers have been on Lothal for nine years, according to those who have been takens longer than that. Too short for any cloning, but it is a nice idea. Talia grabs a discarded blaster and starts shooting with one arm.

"My dad was not a clonetrooper." Ezra huffs, not riled up half as much as normal. There isn't time to be, though he does get a jab in. "How is your shoot worse than the girl with a concussion causing her to not see straight." To Talia's credit, the string of swear words she lets out is certainly creative as it is colorful. Suddenly, Talia feels something brush against her skin, as the sound of wind rushing through a tube surrounds her. She glances around quickly listening and feeling until she sees what message the Wind is passing to her. She sees barrels of something on the side. She takes a moment to aim.

She breathes, as Ezra shoots a trooper about to shoot her. "Com'n, Wind give me a little help." She shoots the target, barely. But it is enough. The barrels contained some sort of highly explosive fuel, no doubt for the ships taking takens off world. It erupts into a fire ball, engulfing a huge portion of the landing platform and some of the building, becoming more than enough of a distraction for the Tribe to get to the transport. Ezra shoots Alex a look.

Alex rushes to the driver seat before everyone is on. He types into the controls, "Uh... It's not turning on."

Sophia grabs him and shoves him to the side. "Move." She rips open a panel. After a few minutes of her head being in the wires, the transport roars to life.

Alex shouts, "Transport on." He type a few more thing. "We're ready."

Sophia pulls her head out, "Trackers deactivated."

"Wind 3 come on!" Ezra orders. Aeries, Talia and Vivi are still outside. Aeries is good five feet away, though. She takes a few steps towards the transport.

"Wind 3!" Vivi screams, seeing a trapper come from who knows where. He fires stun blast. Vivi is between them before he finishes pulling the trigger.

Seeing all of this, Aeries eyes go wide. Tiny stones float around her. She blasts the trapper, grabs Vivi and flings her into the transport with more strength than any nine year old should have, then hauls herself into the transport. The transport blasts through the fences and they are gone. It is then that the pain in her wrist, hits Aeries full on, she falls to floor trying not to cry. "Aw, aw, aw" She goes with each breath.

As concerned as Ezra is he is for Aeries more concerned about them being followed. He checks out the rear window. Sonya is standing in the middle of the hole they tore open, a slight smirk barely present, leaving Ezra with the feeling he may have made a big mistake.

* * *

Sonya couldn't help but smirk. And she'd be lying if she said she didn't know why. Whether she would use that against her brother in the future or not, she did not know. But it still warmed her a bit.

A trapper runs up to her, "We will pursue as soon as-"

"That won't be necessary." Sonya cuts him off, not taring her eyes from the shrinking transport.

"Ma'am?" He asks, confused.

"I have what I need. The takens are not working directly with the Rebels, any connection was long in the past. Should we pursue these takens anymore, we may push them to the Rebellion" Sonya says, her voice even, almost like a computer. "Moreover, during their escape, at least twenty-eight of the forty-one on base trappers were injured and we are still waiting on the exact numbers. It seems to me, that any attempt to pursue them would be folly and just lead to possible exposure to the public. Isn't that the last thing higher ups want?"

"Officer Hunge will not like it." The trapper says. As he says the name, Sonya remembers it as the name of the sick man she killed.

Her smirk deepens, "If he has a problem with it, he can take it directly to me." She turns to face the trooper, "Find him and tell him that for me."

"Yes, Ma'am." The man salutes, before rushing off.

"You there," She shouts to a standing trooper. He salutes. "See to it that every able man is doing first aid on the more severally injured. This husk of a base doesn't have enough medical personnel."

"Yes, Ma'am." The man salutes. Sonya returns to shouting out orders.

* * *

Ezra is hardly surprised that the injuries of the Wind Tribe pushed the _Ghost_ medical abilities to the edge. The fact that they were helping made Ezra exceedingly grateful. Though when he attempted to thank them, Hera shrugs it off saying, "This is why we are rebels." Ezra couldn't help but smile at that.

Ezra, Talia and Orin sit a little ways away from everyone in the meadow near the Great Sea that they had settled in because the _Ghost _is too small to treat everyone. "Seriously, the one thing you didn't need was detox." Talia shake her head before wincing. Her gaze doesn't leave the rest of the tribe though. Sabine is currently wrapping Aeries wrist.

"How is that even possible?" Ezra asks, watch Hera check Vivi. The blast was set on stun but Vivi is so young. It is rather worrying, but other than a limp that she should recover from, she seems fine. Well as fine as a taken can be. Talia shrugs, not quite sure how it is either.

Orin sighs, "Your sister's a real piece of work." Orin stretches.

"Sister? Sonya was there?" Talia asks, turning between Ezra and Orin.

"Yes, she was..." Ezra pauses before sighing. "She... I wouldn't have found the other if it hadn't been for her." Both Orin and Talia look at him expectantly. Ezra sighs "When I came to a fork in the hall. She stopped me... told me the map was wrong... that as soon as Talia turned off the power the best trappers went to where the prison was marked and that it was a trap. I... I trusted her... and she didn't let me down."

Talia is quiet for a moment, looking at the blue sky, "I never turned off the power. Or the sensor"

"What?!" Both Ezra and Orin yell. Ezra stands from the rock they are sitting on and faces her.

"I was going to, but something closed around my throat. When I came to, the power was already cut off and I was outside the torture chamber with a bad headache. Saw it was in use, and knew I had to get whoever it was out. Had no clue it was Orin." Talia sighs. "And one of my arrows is missing." She huffs out.

"Sunny did stop Vivi from being tortured..." Orin admits, after a moment.

"So, is your sister a hero or a villain?" Talia shakes her head.

"A villain." Ezra says sighing, "But one who may be redeemed." Ezra smiles.

* * *

Vizago paces, his worry increasing each hour that passed. The twi'lek, Talia, is late for their meeting. If she decided against it, would she even tell him? Still, he waits. Finally, the _Ghost _shows up. Vizago stops pacing. The ramp goes down, Talia comes down several small bandages on her face and her left arm is a sling.

"I apologize for being late, but the entire tribe want to be here and getting thirteen kids ready to move always takes forever." Talia say, the last part sounds very exasperated.

"So..." Vizago prompts.

"So, Viviana wants to meet you. It is she and only she who will decide what happens next after spending some time with you. Word of advice, let her come to you. Don't run up to her and hug her." Talia nods, turning to the ship. "Vivi! You ready?"

Vivi, hidden from site, shakes her head. No, she isn't. She'll never be but she has to go. She walks down the ramp, a few bandages covering her face, seeing the man who is her father for the first time. She steels her courage and goes up to him stopping on the other side of Talia. Talia tilts her head, surprised, "Vivi?"

"I'm Vivi Vizago of the Wind Tribe." Vivi starts. "I am small and young, but by no means weak. I'm not some daddy's girl or little princess. I heard female devarorian are supposed to be gentle. I'm not. I can clean a dead tooka for dinner. I can out shoot most adults and like stories involving a lot of action and fighting. I like running around and getting covered in mud. I am a taken, that means people known as trappers will come after me and try to kidnap me. It means I can't go to a doctor when I get sick. It means I will wake up at night screaming from nightmares. If you aren't up for any of that, then you can leave right now."

Vizago is momentarily stunned by the boldness of his daughter. He notes the use of a nickname. He smiles, kneeling down, "I think I can manage."

Not quite the answer Vivi wanted to hear but close enough. "So... you're an arms dealer? Got any stories to tell?" Vizago nods. They sit there talking, for hours and hours.

They barely notice the entire tribe sitting on the ramp listening in. As the sun sets, no one is surprised by Vivi's decision.

Talia looks Vizago in the eye, again, leaving him wondering how an injured hundred pound girl can be so intimidating. "I am trusting you with Vivi. **DO NOT** make me regret that trust. If you do, you will wake up blind and with your tongue cut out, among other things missing."

"I have no intention of betraying that trust or doubt you would go through with that threat." Vizago holds up his right hand.

"You do anything, we will find out about it." Talia says. Ezra groans internally. He just got recruited to play secret social worker. Talia kneels down to Vivi, her entire demeanor changes, becoming sweet and loving. "Hey, no matter how far apart we are, if you miss use just close your eyes and let the wind brush your face. Know that we feel the same wind on our own...

"No matter where you are, you'll alway be a member of the Wind Tribe. You'll always have a home with us. It just not your only home now." Talia smiles, for no matter how much they grieve over a member leaving them, it is a happy event. "Nothing is forever. Not our time together. Not our time apart. We will meet again. Let the Wind bring you home." Vivi being with the Tribe for so long had no issue telling which wind Talia was talking about.

Vivi bites her lip, "May I have a hug?"

Talia smiles, "Always."

Each member comes up to her, hugging her when asked. She asks every time. By the time Aeries gets up, Vivi is bawling.

Aeries smiles, sadly, "Hey, no tears. We can't waste water on that." Aeries lifts something up and holds it out to her, carefully with her wrist. Vivi's eyes widen at the site of Miranda. "You don't want to forget her."

"But... You only let me borrow it..." Vivi feels a new wave of tears.

"I think, she'd miss you. Besides you're going on a new adventure and when has she ever turned down adventure." Aeries smiles.

"Never." Vivi takes the doll and hugs it tight. Everything becomes real at that moment, she is leaving. But the little doll makes it just a little less scary.

"May I have a hug?" Aeries asks. Vivi barrels into her. Aeries lets out a sad chuckle before whisper into her ear in Mando'a. "Miranda has a com from Talia. If anything happens call us. Ezra will also check in, too." She shifts a pistol size blaster into Vivi's hands, keeping it hidden. "My gift, keep it with you." She leans back. Talia, being the only one who spotted the pistol, is shaking her head, mouthing 'Good idea'. Aeries flashes her a subtle thumbs up. "Understand?" Aeries asks in basic. Vivi nods, putting the doll in her bag while hiding the pistol in her boot so no one saw. The rest of the tribe realized Aeries has given her something else but didn't know what. Vivi would never put Miranda in her bag without reason.

Vivi smiles to her tribe before shouting with as big a smile as she could muster, "See you." She runs and takes her dad's hand. The smile on his face causes her to never doubt her decision.

**Time for everyone's favorite** **part of the chapter, where I thank people and beg for more reviews. Thank you Ichichi05 and Paint the Wolf for reviewing. Thank you eiassassins for favoriting Ner Vod. And thank you GriffinMan for following Ner Vod.**

**Please review. There is a very simple equation, (RFaFo+V)/V=H or (Reviews X Favorites X Following + Number of Views)** **/ Number of Views= Happiness of the Author. So, increasing the amount of reviews increases the happiness of the author.**


	11. Special: The Calm After the Storm

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Today's the day! The Siege of Lothal! And here is the promised special. It is a hundred percent pure fluff. It takes place about ten years after the Battle of Yavin. However, the future difficult to see, it is. Mainly, because I have yet to decide if Sonya is going to kill Ezra. Kidding! If I do kill Ezra, Sonya isn't going to be his killer. I apologize for error, delays and long winded author's notes. I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! THEY BELONG TO THE ONLY MOUSE THAT WON'T CAUSE ME TO SCREAM, MICKEY MOUSE!**

* * *

The two dozen children from four to fourteen, sitting on the step-like seats, whisper as they wait for their Force Theory class to start. Master Skywalker is rarely late, so the whispers aren't so quiet. Finally, ten minutes after the bell signaling the start of class rang, the door opens. But instead of Master Skywalker, it is Master Ezra who walks in, a heavy box in his arms. One of the elder students, a blonde boy named Jace Thom, rushes to help. He take the box from a grateful Ezra. They walk down the steps to the center of the classroom. The two begin taking out things. There seemed to be no harmony or theme in the objects, ranging from goblets to a dice.

"Hello there," Ezra smiles to the students, "Clearly I am not Master Skywalker. He unfortunately was need on Coruscant and had to leave immediately. So, I will be teaching you for the next few days. Initiate Thom, please put that one on the window seal." Jace nods, taking the orb that is always in Master Ezra's normal classroom and putting it on one of the big sweeping windows before returning to his seat. The students who aren't wide eyed in surprise are smilingly. Master Ezra is one of the most interesting masters at the temple. And according to the female population between thirteen and twenty two, one of the cutest. From his shoulder length raven hair pulled back into a low pony tail to the way his black robes edged with orange hung on him, combined with him being more approachable than many of the few Jedi, makes him a most female initiates' first crush.

"I only have one question for you. If you answer is satisfactory, then you will have free time for the rest of the day. I have already spoken with it to the other Masters." Ezra smiles, the whispering began again in earnest at the rare prize.

Depa, a half twi'ek that was primarily green with a four-pointed star pattern on her tiny lekku, leans over and whispers to her best friend Mira, a strawberry blonde human with amazing forest green eyes, "Can you believe that? The whole day!"

Mira looks at her, eyebrow raised, "You really think it is going to be that simple. We'll be hitting our heads against the wall or in awkward silence within the hour. Master Ezra's question must be hard."

"What makes you say that?" Depa raises an eyebrow. But Ezra raises his hand, everyone quiets down.

"If the Force were an object, what object would it be?" Ezra says.

"That's a silly question." Someone, a blue female Togruta just old enough to be overconfident named Rina Clono blurts out.

Ezra eyes the girl, "Why?"

"Because it not." She smiles.

"How do you know, youngling? How do you know anything?" Ezra asks.

"It just is." The girl says.

"Why?" Ezra says, his voice slightly scolding but overtly calm.

"I don't know." The girl groans.

"Exactly. There is no such thing as a silly question, Youngling. If one of you asked why a human can't be more colors like a twi'ek, would that be silly?" Ezra asks. The class laughs at that as if to say obviously. Ezra smile, "It wasn't silly when you were four and asking that question, Initiate Marron." A male yellow twi'lek who was laughing, now, tries to hide in his seat. "This question isn't a question of is or isn't. It is a question how do I think of something so vast that I can't even imagine it. The easiest way is to use an analogue. Find it. Explain it. That is your assignment. Feel free to bounce ideas off each other."

The class surrounds the collection of objects. After fifteen minute, an Initiate by the name of Clan Jona jumps up, "I've got it." He picks up the three coins in the pile. "A coin! It has two sides, a dark and a light."

Mira face palms, whispering, "There is no way it's that simple."

Depa looks at her, "Why not?"

Mira raises an eyebrow, "Is it ever?"

Ezra looks at the coin, "Is it now? Hm..." He takes the coin. "There are indeed two sides. But let's pretend for a moment that heads is the light side, tails is the dark side and tossing it is a padawan's journey to knighthood." He flips it into the air. "The turns represent brushes with the dark side." It hits the floor. "This padawan had a lot of brushes." Ezra jokes, gaining a few chuckles. "Now Initiate Jona tell me what side is up."

Clan looks at it. "Heads, Master."

Ezra flips another coin. "And that one?"

"Heads again, Master." Clan says.

Ezra flips another coin. "And that one?"

"Tails, Master." Clan says.

"Can that one change itself to heads without anyone directly changing it?" Ezra asks.

"No, Master." Clan says.

"Then, is there no hope for someone who has fallen to the dark side?" Ezra asks.

"Of course there is. No matter how far one goes down the dark side, no matter how hard it is to crawl back to the light, there is always hope." Clan says.

"And what of the two light side coins. Now that they've reach knighthood, is it impossible to fall?" Ezra asks.

"No, Master. In fact, with the amount of brushes they had, they very well could fall." Clan says, giving a weak joke as he realizes his foolishness. "A coin isn't a good analogue."

"It's not that it isn't a good analogue, your reasoning just fell a little short." Ezra smiles. "Think, young one, think about the deeper meaning of the Force."

"And now another mystery has been solved." Mira rolls her eyes. Depa raise an eyebrow. "Why the masters let him take up their teaching time." Depa mouths "Aw..." as she nods, understanding.

"You have as long as you need. If you don't finish, it's homework." Everyone shrugs it off. There is no way it will take that long, right?

* * *

The kids groan as the final bell rang. It's homework. Great. Depa sighs. Mira rushed out to go to the archives as the bell rang, leaving her to figure it out on her own. Was it a cube? No, same problem as the coin. A goblet. Why would it be a goblet? Thom shouts over to Depa, "Come on Depa! Some of us are going to play blindfold hide-n-seek in the court yard!"

"But the homework!" Depa protests.

"We think he is just trying to confuse us." Thom says.

"Master Ezra wouldn't do that." Depa shakes her head. She may only be seven but she's known Master Ezra since she was born. After all, he had been her father's padawan. He was both child-like when off-duty and dead serious when it came to the Force, but he always did things with purpose.

"Suit yourself." Thom shrugs. Soon, even the over-achievers give up and leave. Depa is alone, looking over the objects in the room.

* * *

Mira sighs, "Uncle, what are you thinking?" She returns the datapad to the shelf, and leaned against. She thought maybe she'd find something in the archive. All she found on the "Object Test" was it had been developed by Master Ezra four years ago and has been causing headaches ever since. The few padawans she has been able to ask have merely groaned. One togruta's eye actually started to twitch nervously. Another padawan, a rodian, went screaming down the hall, begging never to have to think about it again before she even finished the question. Apparently no one has solved it yet. It's like there was no right answer. Mira shoots up. It couldn't be... Either everyone is an idiot or Ezra's a genius. Mira smirks walking out of the archives.

She continues to the apartments. She goes into one not bothering to knock. "Hey, Hera!" She calls. Since Kanan is on mission and Depa isn't staying with Mira and her Uncle, Hera should be here.

"Mira!" The green twi'ek pokes her head out from around the corner. "Mind helping me make some cookies."

"Let me guess, you heard about the Object Test." Mira smirks, knowing how rare it was for Hera to make... well... anything really.

"Yeah," Hera smiles. "Figured you two would need something to cheer yourselves up." Mira kicks off her shoes and bounds over to the kitchen.

Mira douses her hands in water and soap. "I tried asking some of the padawans about it but..."

"Were you the one who sent that poor Rodian screeching down the hall?" Hera says, taking out the eggs.

"Yeah," Mira says, sheepishly. "Oooo... Can I crack the eggs?" Mira's eyes beam with a glint. Hera chuckles as Mira for once acts her age of ten.

"Have at it," Hera smiles, pushing the eggs and a separate bowl. Mira grabs an egg. Remember last time she slammed it to hard causing it to explode, she is far gentler with the egg. She goes to pull it apart. Hera grabs a fork. Mira applies too much pressure with her thumb. It shatters in her hand.

"Oops." Mira says. Hera just smiles fishing the egg shell out with the fork.

"Pull apart, don't try and crack it any further." Hera says. Hera takes an egg and cracks it. "So, have you figured out the great Object Test?"

"I think I have. But I need some matches and I have no clue where Uncle keeps ours and I want it to be a surprise." Mira smirks.

"Come back before class tomorrow. Not that I don't trust you with matches overnight." Hera teases.

"I wouldn't. I just don't want to be struggling to find them tomorrow." Mira smirks.

Hera chuckles, "And what's Depa think?"

"I don't know. I hauled myself to the archives and hadn't left until I came here." Mira looks at a clock. "Wow! I was there for four hours." Mira shrugs, trying to crack another egg, which goes about as well as the previous attempt.

* * *

Depa looks over the objects, about ready to hit her head against the wall. The objects are casting long shadows now do to the evening sun. She looks at the shadows and sighs. Maybe it's a shadow, forever keeping its mysteries hidden. No, that's this assignment. Mira sighs.

Then she see a shadow away from the others. She follows it back to the sphere on the window ceil. She walks to it. She leans down. Half of it was in light, half was in shadow, but it wasn't a firm separation. It was a gradation... She put her green tip of her finger in the middle of the gradation. She traces it to the light side and then around back, to the shadow side. Depa smirks.

Depa picks up the ball and tosses it under hand. It lands. The light side is more up, but not completely. Depa smiles, as it rolls. It stops near the step like seats. Depa smirks, getting up on the step-seat. She jumps off. The ball rocks then rolls as she lands. It wasn't much but enough to make Depa was beaming.

* * *

The class is unusually loud today, Depa notes. She turns the ball in her hands and smiles. She has an answer. It's a good answer. Depa can't help herself. Smirking, she leans over to Mira and whispers, "I know the answer."

"Oh," Mira smirks, back seeming holding back a chuckle.

"It's a sphere." Depa whispers.

"Really?" Mira smiles.

The class settles unusually fast, signaling Master Ezra has entered. He seems to be highly amused. Mira nearly laughs as she see some of the older initiates mouth profanity jokingly at him. Her uncle would not be happy to find out she knew those words. Despite the fact that both she and Depa know far worse. Though with the amount of time they have spent with Master Teyi it is hardly surprising. "Greetings everyone. If you're going to swear at me, at the very least shout it to the roof tops." Ezra smirks. "Judging by that, no one has figured it out?"

Depa's hand shoots up and she almost jumps out of her seat. Ezra smirks, "How about you Initiate Lilu?" The young brunette shrinks back. "Initiate Needo?" The Rodian looks at the door, clearly wondering if he could make it. "Initiate Meedan?" The twelve year old human actually tries to for the door. With a few week chuckles, he returns to his seat. Depa waves her hand wildly. "Initiate Thom?"

Thom raises his eyebrow, "I think Depa has an idea."

"Initiate Jarrus" Ezra chuckles as Mira tries to calm Depa down. Mira makes eye contact and shrugs. "Does the word 'patience' mean anything to you?" Ezra shakes his head and gestures her to go ahead.

Depa stands, "It's a sphere." She holds up the ball. "It has a light side, dark side and a gradation between the two. If you try too far to go into the light, you pass through it and go to the dark side." He fingers do three quarters of a circle on the sphere. "And if you toss it." She toss it into the air. It lands. "It rolls, like the when a Jedi is tempted after they become a Jedi." Depa climbs on her seat and jumps down, "It is also affected by it environment or experience."

"Yet, no matter how much it rolls the shadow remains on one side." Ezra counters.

Depa looks at her ball on the floor then to Master Ezra, then to the ball, then to her fellow students with a smirk, "Anyone have some paint?" Everyone burst into much needed laughter.

Master Ezra wipes his eyes. "Anyone else have an idea?"

"A painted sphere?" Someone shouts earning another round of chuckles.

"Painted how? Pink and blue?" Master Ezra smiles.

"May I, Master?" Mira raises her hand.

"Go right ahead, Initiate Sorayu." Master Ezra smiles. Mira stands and pulls out a small pack of matches. Master Ezra eyes widen, "Where did you get the matches?"

"They fell of a ship." Mira shoots back. She lights one, "A flame. That is my best analogue. It can be used for good and for evil. Which is chosen by the user. The Force is our light and our life. It can bring us together and it can destroy us. It all depends on if we know how to use it and how to let it guide us." Mira shake out the flame and puts the remaining pack to Master Ezra's out stretched hand.

"And yet a flame goes out." Master Ezra sighs, pocketing the matches.

"That's why it is the best analogue for me, not a perfect analogue." Mira smirks as she reveals here ace. "Just as the sphere is the best analogue for Depa and for you, Master, which is why you always bring the sphere into the classroom. There is no right answer. Just a best answer for you. Yes, this was a question to think about the Force in depth. But it is also a lesson in reasoning and thinking."

Ezra beams at the young girl. "That is right." Ezra picks up the coins and tosses them to Thom. "If comparing it to a coin helps you, than that's right." Ezra toss a dice Clan, "If it is a dice, than that's right." Ezra smiles to the children, "Reasoning and logic is essential to a Jedi. Many time you will find that a fact can change from a certain point of view. A man's brother betrays him, then the man's brother may be dead to the man. A glass can be half full or half empty. A villain may be a victim or a victim, a villain. A Jedi must see and understand all these points of view, in order to keep the peace."

Master Ezra smiles, "Now, I must ask you all to keep this secret from those who have not taken the Object Test as the most important part is the journey, the thinking. And with that, given the fact your lessons for the next few hours are cleared, how about we play a game." Everyone burst into yells of joy. "And given Mira and Depa proved some of the best answer I have heard, let's let them pick."

"Blindfold hide and seek tag?" Depa shouts, having missed her favorite game yesterday. It was her favorite, even if Mira called it a teaching game, she loved it.

"Alright, let's go to the courtyard. After I com Master Dhara, to inform the other teachers that the Object Test was solved." Ezra shacks his head in disbelief.

* * *

"We can't afford to not train a single initiate. Our numbers are too small not to." Master Talia Teyi, a purple twi'elk with a sever, yet old injury to end of her left lekku and had served and trained with Master Dhara and Master Ezra during the Galactic War, said via hologram. She is currently in the Naboo system, trying to improve public relations with the common people so that negative propaganda of the Empire can't be spread as well.

"Agreed, however, due to our small numbers, we simple don't have enough knights to train every single one." Master Zara says, her hologram flickering momentarily, "Assuming that all the older padawans do become Jedi and are ready to train a new Jedi within two years and that Master Tano is willing to take a padawan. Considering she doesn't wish to be connected to the New Order, both events are unlikely. We will have twenty five Jedi in the total that can train a padawan in the next two year. In the next ten years, we will have fifty to seventy initiates ready to be trained as padawan. We don't have enough to train them all. So, what is the solution?" Her voice takes on her teaching voice in the last bit, like she wants a student to figure out the answer.

"I think it is pretty obvious." Master Ezra says, glancing to Master Skywalker, present via a hologram as well. Master Skywalker nods clearly thinking along the same lines. "A master should be allowed to take multiple padawans at a time."

The two Jedi Masters who were trained in the old order look at each other, knowing they have to say the problems with that even if they are inclined to agree. Master Jarrus, via hologram due to being on mission in the outer rim, is the first to question his former padawan, "Is that a smart? The reason for the padawanship is for a master to give more in depth instruction to the padawan than can be provided in class."

"Yes, but I am not saying a large group. I was thinking no more than three at a time, with preference to two." Master Ezra explains. "It may even prove beneficial, as the padawans will always have someone their level to train with."

"We did seem to improve fast when we were around each other for extended period." Master Dhara says, motioning to Master Ezra and Master Teyi.

"Yet, they may form attachment to their fellow Padawan." Master Zara argues.

"I thought we cleared up the rules on attachment." Master Dhara places a hand on her growing stomach as she approaches the ninth month of her pregnancy. "Or is the entire council going to be expelled because five of them are married and the sixth is dating."

"I am not dating Mara." Master Skywalker says quickly. Even in blue of the hologram, it is clear he is blushing.

"Yet, you knew I was talking about Padawan Jade, and referred to her by her first name." Master Dhara raises an eyebrow, and everyone rolling their eye. If it wasn't un-Jedi like, Master Teyi would have probably started a betting pool on when the two would get together. In fact, Master Ezra wasn't entirely sure that his oldest friend hadn't already done that.

Master Ezra shots Master Dhara a look and a smirk. Master Dhara smiles back. Master Zara shrugs, "Just pointing it out. That rule was going to bite the Old Order in the butt, but I want to think about it carefully."

"Master Zara is right. We must tread with care, as this Order is still in a delicate position." Master Skywalker says.

"Let's sleep on it. We do not need to solve it now. But we do need to figure it out soon." Master Ezra suggests.

"Agreed." Master Skywalker says, "I must be going. This council meeting is over." After a moment, the hologram ends.

"Can someone tell Orin, I miss him." Master Talia smiles, thinking about her husband. Master Zara rolls her eyes as her hologram turns off. "And that I may be a little too busy to call the next few days as I am going to repair the relations between the Gunguns and humans of Naboo." Talia rubs her forehead. She's not a negotiator, she's a sentinel. She prefers the shadows, a habit she had since her days on the street.

"Can do." Master Ezra nods. Talia's hologram turns off. "Kanan, can I talk to you?"

Master Jarrus raises an eyebrow, but nods, "Of course."

"I'll leave you two alone," Master Dhara smiles, bracing herself against the edge of the circular chairs. "Maybe." Ezra stands quickly and helps her up. Dhara laughs, "The Old Order clearly didn't design these things with pregnant woman in mind. See you soon, Jedi Master." Dhara smiles, teasing laces her voice, and leaves the council room.

Ezra, after noting something in his sleeve, pulls a pine cone from his sleeve. "How does she do that?" Master Jarrus raises an eyebrow not even having seen her go for the sleeve.

Ezra shrugs, "Years of practice."

"So, what's wrong?" Kanan asks.

"Nothing's wrong. I just... need some advice." Ezra sits next to his former master. Kanan just smiles at his former padawan, prompting him to continue. "If the council decides to pass this multiple padawans decision, I would like to take both Mira and Depa as my padawans. I know the taking multiple padawans is dangerous but-"

"Actually, I was thinking that if it did pass, that you training Mira and Depa was probably be best for both." Kanan says.

"That makes one of us." Ezra sighs.

"What do you mean?" Kanan asks surprised. His former padawan rarely has the self-doubt that plagued him throughout his time as a padawan now a days.

"Mira is... I see her mother in her, girl I knew, not the inquisitor she became. I am worried..."

"That she'll follow down the same path." Kanan finishes, suddenly wishing he could physically be there. "Ezra, what happened to S- her mother was an extraordinary and she was alone. That's why she fell. Just about everyone she cared about was taken away and then she suffered prolonged periods of isolation. No one can do well in that environment. Mira has everyone in the Order. She has us. She has you. And if you train both of them together, then Depa will be there for Mira throughout their training, just as Mira will be there for Depa." Kanan smiles. Despite everything, he did find this amusing. Apparently, first time taking a padawan, everyone is nervous. Kanan was glad it wasn't just him.

Ezra sighs. Kanan then asks, "What is the Force tell you?"

"I don't know. My own feeling and reservations are causing interference." Ezra sighs.

Kanan raises an eyebrow, "You're having problems meditating?"

"Is that hard to believe?" Ezra quirks an eyebrow, and smirks.

Kanan matches his expression, "Considering how many times I found you meditating for five hours straight?"

Ezra smirks at his friend and in many ways his brother, "Is that a bad thing?"

"No, but it would have given quite a few masters heart attacks." Kanan jokes.

Ezra nods, "It'd give me one."

"So?" Kanan asks.

"I'll meditate on it. But they certainly impressed me today." Ezra smiles.

"What did they do today?" Kanan almost groans. Impress was necessarily good. They almost got into as much trouble as Kanan and Ezra did. Almost. Though Depa did swipe a ship and do laps in it while Mira took holos. Twice.

"Depa came up with the best answer I have heard yet on the Object Test. Out think several Jedi Knights. Mira actually got the right answer." Ezra says, smiling with a pride.

"I thought there was no right answer." Kanan asks.

"That was her answer and she explained it beautifully." Ezra chuckles.

"Well you have time. And considering things are about to get crazy for you, I'd take that time." Kanan smirks. "Has your wife driven you crazy yet?"

"I think I am driving her crazy." Ezra says, sheepishly, "Like you did to Hera when she was pregnant with Depa."

"Have you guys talked names yet?" Kanan asks about his future godchild.

"For a boy, we are think Malachi or Asher. For a girl, we are think Aquila, Esther, or Sapphira." Ezra smiles.

Kanan raises an eyebrow, "You're not going to name them, Ephiram or Sonya or something?"

Ezra shakes his head, "No. We want to focus on moving forward. We don't want to pin them to the past." Kanan smiles at his former padawan's wisdom.

**Thank you Paint the Wolf, Ichichi05, and xEPICxBULLSEYEx for reviewing. You guys make me very happy when you review. Thank you!**

**Internet cookies to those who can figure out who Mira is.**


	12. Chapter 11: A Lie of Omission

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Sorry for the delay, but I am taking summer quarter and had my first exam on Friday. And I will continue to have one for the remainder of the quarter. So, I am looking for a new update day. Would you guys prefer Saturday morning, Sunday morning or Monday afternoon? Or do you really not care. Your option will have great influence on the decision. In other news, I think special was the most popular chapter since the first one. It received the same amount of reviews as Chapter 1: Of Flesh. And yes, Mira is Ezra's niece and by extension Sonya's daughter. Internet cookies for Paint the Wolf, DeltaGeneral42, and xEPICxBULLSEYEx. DeltaGeneral42, to answer your question about Ezra and Dhara, all I can say is maybe, maybe not. If I saw a pregnant lady struggling to get up, I'd help her. And Ezra's wife and Dhara could have just been pregnant at the same time. So maybe, maybe not. Disclaimer time. I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBEL! ALL HAIL DARTH GOOFY! What? I was serious about running out of ways to say Disney or Mickey and Goofy always portrays Vader in Disney Star Wars crossover stuff. I apologize for errors, delays and long-winded authors notes. In other words, today.**

* * *

Ezra sits up late in the night, barely able to make out the shoto in his hand. Could Sonya have been telling the truth about their mother? Was she really a Jedi? It has been three weeks since that conversation, yet each time he thinks about it his head turns around and back in on itself. This time is really bad, having his head and eyes feel like someone was taking a hammer to them. He wants to scream.

Zeb's loud snores fill their cabin as the holo-clock switches to 100 hours. Ezra closes his eyes, listening to the sound, letting it calm him. He didn't get any sleep his first week on the ship because of that sound. He finally just kaunked out in a vent, after a while, to get some sleep. Now, it has become a calming sound for him. It means, Zeb is here and safe. Just as the sound of aerosol escaping from spray paint can, sarcastic beeps, and the whispers of Hera and Kanan that are just out of earshot have all become calming. They all mean one thing, home.

Ezra opens his mind to the Force. He hears everyone's heartbeat, feels the calmness of their sleep, see the brightness that surrounds them. He is home.

He opens his eye to see the shoto. He should tell Kanan. He needs to tell Kanan. But, no matter the evidence, he just can't convince himself that his mother was a Jedi. It seemed about as likely to him as his father being a clonetrooper. Apart of him wanted to throw away the shoto, to cast it and the possibility out. But he can't... because what if it was his mother's shoto. The connection between a Jedi and their lightsaber is bound by the Force itself. Holding it, with it possibly being his mother's, it made him feel like she is still there for him. That she is still protecting him

Ezra sighs, slipping the shoto under his pillow. He is many things and has been called many more, but a fool isn't one of them. He knows exactly why he doesn't, can't, believe his mother was a Jedi. Why would the Empire keep a Jedi alive?

* * *

Ezra tries to lift his head off his pillow, only for it to fall right back down after lifting an inch. Exhaustion aches through his bones and nothing is clear through his head. Ezra sighs, this cold will be gone in a few hours of sleep or a day of misery. They always are. Too bad there is work to be done.

With a groan, he somehow sits up through sheer force of will. Somewhere that little logical voice is yelling at him to lie down. However, his brain is in no mood to listen to logic as instincts honed by years on the streets kick in. There it didn't matter if your sick, you stop, you die. You don't get food, you get weaker until you can't get food then you starve. Same with water or shelter. So resting doesn't even pop up as a possibility in his mind.

By some miracle, Ezra makes it down to the floor. He lumbers to the door stepping to the side to compose himself for a moment. Suddenly, everything seems to burn and he breaks into a sweat, becoming drench in seconds. He leans his forehead against the cold metal of the wall. Sitting down sounds really good. He is on the ground much too fast, not being able to slow the decent much. He rocks back on to his back. But, the fall is not his biggest concern. His eyes have completely lost the ability to see. It is a solid mass of black. The illogical part of him begins to worry about whether or not his vision will come back. People can lose their vision through illness, right?

After a minute or two, but enough to panic, his vision begins to return in the strangest way. Where lines would be drawn in a cartoon, white lines appear on the black background. Everything looked like a 2D drawing. After another three minutes, the colors have slowly returned. His vision panic over, he notice the heat is gone and he actually is quite cold from the sweat. He wipes away the cold sweat and stands braced against the wall.

This is a bad one.

With a raged breath, he puts on the healthy mask he had developed on the street and walked out the door.

Food. That was priority one. It's a myth to starve a cold. If that's what he has. Any illness your body is fighting a hard battle. It needs fuel. It needs water, too. Then, he just needed to get through chores and whatever Kanan had planned for him. Today would be a good day for meditation. Ezra lets out a sad chuckle. For once, that has nothing to do with Sonya.

Oh, he also has to pray to whatever divine being he doesn't believe in for no missions today. With his mental abilities heavily impaired that would not go well.

Ezra scavenges a bowl of cereal knowing better than to mess with the waffles. He wouldn't be able to escape Zeb right now. Zeb's voice broke through his jumbled thoughts, "Well someon's finally up." Everyone is sitting down, looking at him.

Ezra yawns, playing of his illness, as exhaustion, "Knock it off. I am allowed to sleep in once in a while. Look how often you do."

Zeb glares at him, "Why you-"

"He's not wrong." Sabine cuts in with her smirk. After a moment, Sabine looks up confused. She looks at Ezra, "Kid, you alright?"

"Just tired..." Ezra says. "So... What's on the agenda today?"

Kanan says, "We'll be doing a mission with the Phoenix Cell next week to see if we can confirm your vision." Kanan holds up his hand, "I know it was triple confirmed by the Wind Tribe but the Rebellion needs a little more proof." Ezra, actually, didn't feel up for putting up a fight. As a result, he is more than happy to let Kanan do both sides of it.

"After breakfast, Sabine, I need you to check and prep the weapons and shields systems with Chopper." Kanan continued.

"Ezra," Kanan says. Ezra looks up. "Check inventories." Ezra nods, giving a thumbs up. After that he kind of zones out. He really didn't feel like eating weird tasting cereal, but force it down. He, then, takes a datapad and went to the cargo hold.

After thirty minutes, Ezra mumbles, "This would go so much smoother if I had more than a very primary reading ability." He actually had to resort to matching the letters on the longer names. His head is pounded at a constant thum-thump. It is probably his pulse. Ezra feels another blast of heat. He can take a five minute break, right? Ezra sits down on the floor and leans against a crate. He is asleep faster than you can say "Idiot".

About an hour later, Hera and Kanan come down to check on things. Kanan face palms, while Hera chuckles. "We should wake him. Before Chopper zaps him." Hera smiles, though she doesn't want to wake him. He looks like an innocent kid while asleep. Hera sighs, he is a kid.

"Leave him. That would teach him not to fall asleep while doing chores." Kanan groans.

Hera rolls her eyes, walking to Ezra. "Ezra." She says, gently. "Ezra." She touches his arm to gently shake him awake. Her face completely changes as her hand touches his shoulder. Hera flips her hand to his forehead. "Kanan! He's burning up!" Hera yells. Ezra groans in his sleep. All of a sudden, he isn't so peaceful. He's too pale, sweat beads over his skin, sleeping to deep. Ezra is a notoriously light sleeper to the crew, stating on the street he needed to aware of everything.

Kanan is by her side within a second of the words leaving her mouth. His hand replacing hers. Eyes widening, Kanan barks out, "We got to get him to bed."

"Loud..." Ezra groans. As his vision cleared, he sees two dark silhouette outlined in light much too bright. Then, as his eyes adjust, he see the worried faces of Kanan and Hera. Oh, he fell asleep. Oops. Shoving on his best act on, he stands, ignoring all his dizziness. "Hey, what's up?" Kanan, without a word, puts his hand on Ezra's forehead. Ezra swears in his head. No matter how good he is at acting, he can't cool a fever. "I need to finish-"

"No. With that fever, the only place you are going is to bed." Kanan says, firmly. There is no room for discussion. But Ezra does so any way.

"But, I'm fine." Ezra protests.

Kanan raises an eyebrow, "You're actually arguing to do work when I am letting you off."

"Yes." Ezra says, because relaxing and sick are two words that don't go together for him. They give him a nervous twitch if they even get close.

"Ezra, I will finish this up. Go rest." Kanan orders.

"I'm fine. Just a little slower than normal. There isn't much I can't do sick. Couldn't have been. And I am not helping my case?" Ezra sighs.

"Hera, make sure he gets to bed." Kanan says, recognizing that look in Ezra's eyes. Hera shoots Kanan a look saying you have to ask. Hera leads Ezra out of the cargo hold. Kanan check the inventory and is surprised that there aren't any mistakes in the numbers in what has been done.

* * *

"I'm fine, Hera. Really." Ezra grumbles. Chopper shoots through the hall, followed by Zeb. In the hustle, Ezra falls. Even with the wall, he can't get up. "A little help?" He asks, sheepishly. Hera takes his hand and helps him up.

As she does so, she asks, "Are we going to have to go through this argument again, tomorrow?"

"You give me too much credit. We'll be have this argument again in a few hours." Ezra climbs into his bed.

Hera shakes her head, "I'll bring you some medicine, so you might have a chance of winning next time."

"Not necessary. I've survived worse." Ezra say, scooting under the covers.

"They are necessary." Hera not having any of it. Ezra doesn't respond. Hera sighs, walking out of the room. Ezra waits about two minutes before he pulls himself out of the covers, resisting their call. Like sirens, to heed their call is death. He sneaks into the cockpit, where Sabine is checking the shield.

"Need a hand?" Ezra offers.

"Aren't you supposed to be checking the inventory?" Sabine says, not looking up from the screen.

"Taken care of." Ezra says, which isn't a lie. Sabine looks at him suspiciously. "If I was trying to shlep off work, why would I offer help?"

Sabine nods, "I am having trouble reaching the wiring under the floor. It needs to be readjusted."

"On it." Ezra says, jumping down there. He works for fifteen minutes before his vision blurs and he feels the heat surround him again. It'll pass within a few minutes, he thinks, setting down the wire cutters. He focuses on his breathing, in through his nose. Out through his mouth. In through his nose, out through his mouth. The eager to sleep is overwhelming. This place is a good place for Loth-rats to sleep. It's warm. It's dry. The cramped space meant few things could get to him. He... He needs to get back to work, to prove himself valuable to the crew. If not... Then what? Ezra seriously didn't know. It's not like they are the Fire Tribe-

Ezra suddenly realizes what he is doing. He has fallen back into the way he had to think while in the Fire Tribe. Always pull your weight, even if you feel like tooka poo. And he couldn't find himself breaking those habits, even though they are useless now.

"Sabine, have you seen Ezra?" Hera's voice comes out of nowhere. Ezra's head shoots up, and he hits it a partition of metal. He stiffs the grunt, as his hands go to the right side of his forehead just below the hairline. As he pulls his hand away from the tender part he notices a small amount of blood on his gloves. Great, Hera is going to flip.

"He said, the inventory was taken care of when he offered to help." Sabine says, trying to get any trouble off her.

"Oh, Kanan's taken care of it, because Ezra has a high fever and should be in bed." Hera says, sounding very frustrated.

"He's in the floor." Sabine says, "He's sick? He doesn't look it."

"He's a heck of an actor." Hera says. Just then Ezra feels a sharp tug on his ankle, yanking him out of the crawl space. Hera eyes widen as she sees the blood trickling down his forehead. "What happened?!"

"Nothing just hit my head. There was a piece of metal sticking out. Wrong place, wrong time." Ezra didn't add on that that always seemed to be the case.

"Sabine-" Hera starts, but Sabine holds up a first aid kit she got out the moment she saw blood.

"I'm starting to think we should just tap it to him." Sabine says, sarcastically. Hera just grabs the disinfectant and a bandage. She quickly patches him up before dragging him off to bed.

Once she is sure he is settled, she beings looking for the medicine that she had set down when she went in search for him. After about two minutes, she finds it in a cubby. "Alright Ez-" She turns to the bed and see that it is empty, "Ra... Karablast!"

* * *

"Hey, Zeb need any help... with what ever you're doing?" Ezra smiles, trying to at least look normal.

"Supply run. And what are you so happy about?" Zeb says, not trusting a chipper Ezra.

"Well, we're going on a mission with another Cell soon." Ezra says, which isn't a lie. He really is excited especially to see D again.

Apparently, Zeb has some psychic abilities cause he picks up the thought, "Sure, you're just excited to see that girl- what's her name- again. Finally got over your crush on Sabine, huh." Zeb smirks.

"It's not like that." Ezra groans. Ezra had only spent a week with her, half of that was spent ignoring her. Sure, D is funny, and seems smart and very pretty with that tightly curled hair of hers. But, that's exactly why he couldn't have a crush on her. She wouldn't be impressed with someone who could barely write his own name. She could have a friend like that though, and Ezra could always use more friends. And besides, they barely know each other. The thought hadn't even crossed into Ezra's mind until Zeb mentioned it.

"Sure, then how come you looked like a kicked lothcat when we dropped off those blasters and she was on mission?" Zeb teases.

"How often do I meet friends who aren't in this cell?" Ezra crosses his arms unimpressed. "So, do you need any help?"

"Aren' you suppose' to be taking inventory?" Zeb asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Taken care of." Ezra says.

Zeb mulls the answer over for a moment before shrugging, "Sure. Ya already tol the others?" Ezra shrugs. Zeb takes this as a yes. Ezra takes it as not a lie. They head down the ramp. Ezra takes in a big gulp of air, enjoying the clean air of the fields he spent most of his childhood in. Since the Empire started its mining, clean air has become increasingly hard to find. Still, it is better than the ship, which is still being aired out from a week in space.

Ezra stretches, this will probably be better for him than medicine, he muses. He shrugs off the urge to collapse like he always does when sick, dashing forward. "You think Hera and Kanan will kill us if we accidentally steal a tie, again?"

The look in his eye tells Zeb he is joking, so Zeb just rolls his eyes, "More than likely. Why do you think they haven't let us go on a supply run together since?" They somehow fall into a conversation. It is usually pretty easy, despite the fact that they both aren't much of talkers. Maybe that's why.

Zeb starts walking in different direction than town. "Zeb, where are you going?" Ezra asks.

"Avoidin' tha'" Zeb points to something in the distance. Ezra squints. Its a tree, a flowering tree, surrounded by a two stone high wall in the shape of an oval. A howling ash plant and an old one at that, if the lack of ash and the size of the tree are anything to go by. Ezra won't tease Zeb over this. The superstition is doing its job. To protect the trees. Or rather what they really are. It takes a few moments for Ezra to identify whose it probably was. He bows his head for moment, closing his eyes. "Kid, ya coming?" Zeb calls, noticing Ezra has stopped.

"Yeah." Ezra looks up and follows Zeb. After another fifteen minutes of walking, they make it to town. "So, we going split up to gather supplies?" Ezra asks.

"Hera'll have my head if I leave you alone and Trapper's get ya." Zeb says, though Ezra notices a slight worry in Zeb's tone that he would have missed had he not been on guard from his cold.

"Taken's don't normally deal in money. Me walking around and using it would blow most off my trail, since most won't be sure I'm a taken. They don't like mistaken captures or arrests..." Ezra says. He leave off the part where if a trapper is certain a kid is a taken, using money (as it is probably stolen) makes a taken far easier to capture, under the guise of an arrest for thief. "The quicker we finish, the less likely it is we'll run into a trapper."

Zeb sighs, "Fine." He hands Ezra half the list and they part ways agreeing to meet in an hour.

Ezra stifles one of only a handful of coughs this cold has been giving him. One good thing he notes, this cold isn't a throw up your guts and cough until you die cold. He really hates those because those are harder to hide and they waste perfectly good food. Still, the desire to puke is present just ignorable for the most part.

Ezra ducks into an alley way as stormtroopers pass. He is in no way, shape or form, up for a fight. Another reason to separate himself from Zeb. If it comes to a fight or a flight, Zeb would rather smash them. In this condition, as much as he enjoyed out smarting the bucket heads, it would be best to avoid rather than fight. Besides there are other ways to outsmart the bucket heads. Ezra climbs up onto the roofs, to his haven. One of the first rules a taken learns is to get rid of that fear of heights, they are friends.

Ezra scoops out the location of each stall containing the supplies he needs to get. No one looks up, they never do. He looks around for threats to avoid. There are three groups of bucket heads scattered over nine blocks. If he doesn't look suspicious, they'll leave him alone. Still, best to avoid them. Trappers. Ezra glances around. He spies one at the other end of the market. He also see Zeb pass him, completely clueless. Ezra rolls his eyes. That particular trapper couldn't remember any takens faces so he himself isn't much of a threat. However, his presence indicates that there is at least one more trapper in town, today. Ezra hops down, and breathes, taking the mentality of three trappers nearby. Cautious, but not obviously.

With a few more stops in alley ways, one due spotting the other trapper and two more due to fever flashes causing him to have to sit down, Ezra has gathered his supplies with just enough time to make it to the meeting spot, perhaps a little more methodically than he normally would have. Ezra turns around, almost running into a wall of purple. He looks up to see a very upset looking Garazeb Oreleos. Without a word, Zeb puts his hand on Ezra forehead, causing Ezra to curse in his head.

"Before you yell! We are still in a very crowded market place with two trappers at either end and about three different groups of bucket heads that I really don't want to fight right now." Ezra says, quickly as Zeb opens his mouth. Zeb sighs, though it clearly does little to calm him. He takes the supplies from Ezra. "I can carry that, just worry about-" Ezra stops then looks around, "Where are your supplies?" Zeb responds by grabbing Ezra's shoulder and dragging him out of the market through a deserted alley.

Ezra feels a cough build up in throat. He swallows it but three more come to replace it. He swallows again and again and again. Until it boils out as they walk through an alley. A wave of fever flashes hits Ezra, causing his healthy act to drop momentarily. Zeb, who is eyeballing the bucket heads in the courtyard, turns to Ezra and sees that moment. Ezra pulls the act on as quickly as he can, in about a minute, "I'm fine."

Zeb looks back at the bucket heads, before back tracking to avoid them. "You lied about telling Hera and Kanan." Zeb grumbles as they continue forward. "And then I get a com from a very angry Twi'ek about fifteen minutes after us splitting up and have to go find you."

"I didn't lie. You just assumed. And you know what they say about assume." Ezra says, shoving the fatigue down.

"They also say a lie of omission is still a lie." Zeb grunts.

"A lie of what?" Ezra asks.

"Leaving something out because you know it will change someone's mind." Zeb says.

Ezra drops that hot potato fast, "I'm fine. Everyone is just over reacting."

"You're sick." Zeb snarls. He doesn't add the "badly" that is racing through his mind. How the kid pulls off that healthy act, Zeb will never know.

"I know the dangers of being sick better than most, but I can't let it stop me. Not now. Not then." Ezra let slip. When he realizes it, he curses inside his head. Zeb for one is confused and tries to ask questions but Ezra refuses to answer. Zeb finally leads them to the edge of town and, to Ezra's surprise, the _Phantom_ and a furious looking Hera. Ezra mumbles something about "chances" and "trappers".

Hera marches over to them. Ezra side steps behind Zeb. After Zeb realizes what he is doing, Zeb side steps revealing him again. Hera glares down at Ezra. "Do you have any idea how worried we have been?" Ezra opens his mouth, but Hera holds up her hand. A mild throbbing enters Ezra's head. "Clearly you didn't or you wouldn't have done something so stupidly reckless!" His stomach churns, as he is hustled on board and they take off. Hera continues to yell all the way back to the _Ghost_. Each word hammers itself into Ezra's splitting headache and dying patience. Each minute in the flying ship turns his stomach into a knotted mess. Finally, they attach and Hera gets up and lectures some more. The door opens to reveal Kanan and Sabine. Ezra doesn't care. All he wants to do is shove his head into a toilet and stay there for a while. "You need to rest!" Hera yells.

"And you don't understand!" Ezra yells, standing suddenly. He fights the urge to brace himself against the wall. No weakness. Weakness equals being left behind. Left behind equals death. His mind repeats the words he first heard from the head of the Fire Tribe, Axel, when he was eight. Around and around, they circle in his mind. He rushes away from the group, who are momentarily too stunned to do anything. He goes to the fresher and puts his head in the toilet waiting for the nausea to pass or hurl upwards. He breathes in through his nose, out through his mouth. Again and again and again. Finally, the nausea passes. Ezra stands slowly. The wiring still needs to be adjusted in the cockpit. He is the only one who can fit. He has to prove his worth.

By some small miracle, he runs into no one on his way to the cockpit. Or at least, he thinks so. The same fog from this morning has come back. Ezra sits down on the floor mentally and physically preparing himself for the climb down from the living quarters to the main area. Looking down on it, Ezra honestly doesn't think he can make it. There is a thump of a sound. It repeats a few more times. Something touches his shoulder. Ezra jumps, looking startled to see Kanan. That surprises Kanan, considering he had been waiting for Ezra to come out of the fresher to talk. Had the kid really not noticed him at all?

"I'm trying to understand, Ezra. But you're going to have to explain why you are so set against resting." Kanan says, slowly.

Ezra takes a moment longer than usual to process, he can't even pull up his healthy act anymore. "Two reasons... both are stupid, but I can't help them..." Kanan nods, understandingly. Ezra continues, "When I was alone, it didn't matter if I was sick or not. I need to keep moving, keep doing or I'd die. Can't shake that habit. The second reason..." Ezra pauses, "Don't get offended or anything, as sick as I am I recognize it as completely stupid, but I can't really stop it." Kanan nods, which is good enough for Ezra to continue. "You guys won't... won't leave me behind because I can't keep up since I'm sick, right?"

Whatever Kanan expects it not that, his tongue races to answer before his head can catch up, "No...Wha'... No...Where? What? What?!"

"I said it was stupid. But the Fire Tribe, the tribe I was in, if you couldn't keep up you got left behind." Ezra says.

"Why would you join something like that?" Kanan asks, shaking his head.

"All tribes were like that. The Wind Tribe was the first to change that and that was after I was left behind. Beside a tribe that doesn't care is still better than nothing. At least they won't look at you like your worthless..." Ezra explains.

Kanan sucks in a breath, before help Ezra up and holding him up. "Let's get you to bed. I promise, we'll still be here when you wake up."

Ezra nods, "Thank you." Kanan helps Ezra into bed.

"I'll be back in a few minutes with some medicine." Kanan says, before spotting the medicine Hera had brought in.

"No," Ezra groans, "If the other get sick they'll need it."

"We have enough for everyone." Kanan says, realizing his mindset is still back in the Tribe. He didn't know exactly what happened in the tribe, but he knew Ezra and that he would have looked after the others no matter what the tribes were like.

After a moment, Ezra sighs, "Kanan..." A lie of omission is still a lie. He needs to tell Kanan what Sonya said about their mother.

"Yes?" Kanan says, pouring out the medication into a small plastic cup.

Ezra opens his mouth. He can't make himself say it. "Never mind..."

Kanan knows there is something isn't telling him, though he wouldn't put it past the fever. It isn't the time or the place to talk about it. "Here." Kanan gives him the medicine. Ezra downs it and makes a face, before crawling up his latter into bed. Ezra slips off into a deep sleep.

* * *

**Before any of you say that a cold isn't like that, cause I know someone will, a lot if not all of the scenes come from my own experiences, with heavily influence from a cold I got last summer. That's where the eye thing came from, and after I stopped freaking out it was really cool. **

**Any who, thanks time and there are a lot today. Thank you staff of the community of The Start of the Rebels for adding my story to your community. You should all check out their archive. They have all sorts of stories from so many writers. Thank you Ichichi05, Paint the Wolf, DeltaGeneral42, and xEPICxBULLSEYEx (All of a sudden I want to play Epic Mickey. Huh?) for reviewing. Thank you edvis93 andJessie K.I (Sorry for missing you in last week's thanks, not sure how that happened. Wait. Did you change your penname? Whatever.) for favoriting my story. Thank you jpeck2000 for following my story. It means the world to me to know you guys enjoy my work. Thank you, everyone who has put up with my long author's note and who read Ner Vod.**

**Question time: Which is your favorite chapter of Ner Vod? And why?**


	13. Chapter 12: Home

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Yes, I said I wouldn't be doing Friday releases anymore and I won't be. I am able to do this only because today is Independence Day Observed. Next week I will not be updating on Friday and I need your opinion on what day YOU would like to be updated, Saturday or Sunday. I am asking because there is a significant drop in views from when I update Saturday versus my normal Friday. DeltaGeneral42, I can't say much about your question because it will be addressed, eventually. Probably, around chapter sixty. I can say a whole myriad of reasons. Some could be as simple as Sonya didn't choose the dark side. She certainly wouldn't choose it for her daughter, even if it means not being in Mira's life. Or she may feel she cannot be the mother Mira needs. Or she could have woke up dead for whatever reason. Sonya was… will be… whatever, very young when Mira is born. I apologize for delays, errors, and long-winded author's notes. I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! IT BELONGS TO THE ORDER OF THE MOUSE!**

* * *

"Ezra's finally asleep." Kanan sits down in the common area. Ezra is going to be the death of him.

"What was da kid think?" Zeb groans. Seriously of all the bone head moves the kid has pulled.

"As stupid as it was for him to hide it, we were pretty stupid for ignoring his past." Kanan sighs.

"What do you mean?" Sabine asks. She still had trouble believing Ezra was sick. Made her wonder how many times he had been sick and they had just missed it.

"Ezra hasn't had anyone to take care of him since he was seven. He told me that, even though he knew he didn't have to, he still couldn't break that mindset." Kanan explains, clearly not happy about.

"We're going to need more cold medicine if this cold persists for more than a day." Hera says going through one of their several medical kit.

"We also only have half the supplies we were suppose to get." Zeb says.

"Then it looks like were doing another supply run." Kanan sighs.

"There's a large amount of stormtrooper in town today." Zeb says.

"Then you three should go in a group." Hera says. Kanan isn't particularly happy about leaving his padawan, but knows they need as many eyes as the could watching each other back, so he agrees. They are soon off.

Hera sigh, "Come on Chop. Let's see if we can fix that wiring." Hera turns, but she doesn't get any response. She looks around. Chopper is no where to be seen. She walks around the ship. She finally finds him in front of Ezra and Zeb's room. He looks at her like he was caught doing something he shouldn't be doing. After a moment she sighs, "I suppose we can check on him, IF we're quiet." She opens the door. They creep in quietly. Hera looks onto the top bunk.

Ezra is curled into a ball on his side. Beads of sweat fall of his forehead, enough to make his pillow slightly damp. The blanket was covering him. He looks miserable. Even with medicine, all they can do is wait. How the heck did he hide this? Hera sighs and walks out. After moment Chopper follows, still sounding worried. Hera closes the door, then kneels down, "He'll be okay. Ezra is tenacious. He's... had to be." Hera reluctantly admits. "Come on. It won't do to have Ezra wake up and try to fix the wiring."

* * *

The wind slides over the hills and plains causing the long grasses of Lothal to become a sea, with one wave coming after another. The _Ghost_ sits there like an island of tranquility. A figure sits on her knees not to far away, like she did when she meditates. But now she focused on hiding her Force signature in the Force, as the sea of grasses hide her physically. Most of the crew has left and now she needs to wait for them to go out of sight. She is normally very good at waiting, but this...

She has spent years trying to get back here to Lothal only to be delayed by capture, rescue attempts, capture, rebellion and just about everything else the universe could throw at her. Even now it was still too dangerous to let herself be known, what with a hoard of Inquisitors on her butt. Though, she has temporarily lost them on Stigin Prime, they'd be back on her tale by the end of the week.

Surely a few more moments would be... A living hell.

The woman jumps up and marches into the _Ghost_. She sneaks in quietly. Not even her footsteps leave an echo. She pause before crossing a open doorway. The twi'ek and the droid are in the room. She waves her hand. The vent from the engines cooling system opens, releasing steam and the twi'ek's curse words into the air. As the room fills, the woman rushes passed, unnoticed.

She walks like she knows where she is going. She comes to the door. It's unlocked. She enters without delay. Suddenly, her eyes are closed... She's afraid to open them. What if it isn't him? Could she have really found him before Tamara, with all her resources? Then again, She hasn't talked to Tamara in almost two years do their duties to the rebellion. A scarier thought occurs to her. What if it is him?

Fear is fine, as long as you don't fear facing it. Now she understands why Zara always had that very pissed look when her master had said that. With a deep breath, she opens her eyes. Her entirety recognizes the boy laying on the top bunk, from his Force signiture to the way his hair always sticks out in every direction, to her husband's nose. She walks over to him, a tear sliding down her cheek. Her legs shake unsteadily, wanting to just collapse. She found him. Over eight years and she had found him. He is in so much pain.

She is over to him in less than one step. She places her hand to his head. He is too hot. He groans slightly. She glances around the room for something she can use to help him. There is nothing, but her eyes catch something else all too familiar. She goes to the cubby and picks up her shoto. It feels the same in her hand as it did when she fought besides her husband. Ezra's lightsaber is something else entirely. It's beautiful in some strange way. The woman could almost laugh when she caught on to the blaster in the hilt.

* * *

_ "Sunny, don't hit your brother." Mira says to her eldest five year old._

_ "But Daddy made these sticks for use to hit each other without hurting each other." Sonya says holding up a blue very padded stick, contrasting with her bright red dress with hearts all over it. She ducks as Ezra trying to hit her with a green one, not even looking at her brother._

_ "Did he now?" Mira looks at her husband._

_ He holds up his hands, "If they are going to pretend to be Jedi by hit each other with sticks, I'd prefer it be safe."_

_ "Oh would you now." Mira glares at him. "Ephiram..."_

_ "Kids, what do you want to be when you grow up?" He asks quickly, trying to save his hide from his wife._

_ "Jedi!" They both say excitedly._

_ Mira sigh turning to them, "The Empire wiped out the Jedi. Any living, are forced to hide..." A part of her is so proud of them for the desire, but they need to know how dangerous it is._

_ "We know. That's why we want to become Jedi." Sunny says._

_ "There're so many people being hurt by the Empire, we want to help them! Just like you and Daddy!" Ezra smiles up. And Mira knows she has lost._

_ Mira sigh, "Well, this is a time a Jedi needs to carry a blaster." Mira isn't a fool. If they are going stay hidden from the Empire, they need to be trained to control their gift. If they are trained, it needs to be in the way of the Jedi. If they become Jedi, they'll fight the Empire. The council was so afraid of attachment that they couldn't see being a parent was about raising your child TO let go._

* * *

The woman sighs, "You are walking a path I never wanted you to, but alway knew you would." She sets her shoto and his lightsaber down. "I hope my shoto may prove useful to you, my brave little Jedi." She brushes his bang from his forehead before sighing.

Ezra's eye crack open, but are unfocused. "Mo-"

"Hush, Ezra." The woman smiles, brushing his cheek. She smiles down at him. "Once upon a time," She begins as she has many times for him. "There was a Jedi foolish enough to fall not to the dark side but to her heart. She was merely one of many to do so, but she was one of a few to act on it. Her love was a clonetrooper and they knew from the beginning they'd need to say good bye someday too soon, so they decide to enjoy each others presence while it lasted, however short or long that maybe. But you know that story, after the rise of the Empire, they lived happily with their two children. But, you don't know the rest. On their son's seventh birthday, an inquisitor found them. The attack was swift as it was unexpected. The Jedi didn't even have time to grab her hidden shoto. And then, the worse thing the Jedi could imagine happened... Her daughter burst through the door..."

* * *

Sonya sighs, as she walks down the street. For the first time in a while, she was able to get out of the base and with her new master's arrival imminent, walks that don't involve imperial compounds and stormtrooper are numbered. Heck, they were a rare gem even when her master was alive. Granted, she isn't even suppose to be off the base, but with the security that lax she had to get out. It's not like she's strong enough to actually leave.

The streets are as crowded as she remembered, but people don't stop and chat, children don't run around. It is... sad. Things really have gotten worse. Even as a child, she had been able to be a child. Now, children are tucked inside where parents can pretend they are safe. Sonya stumbles around the city, with not much of a planned walk in mind. The streets haven't changed in her absence. But she still freezes as she recognizes a street. It's one alleyway away. She doesn't want to go. The knot grows in her throat. She can barely breath. She doesn't want to go

She cuts through the alley way and sees a building she never thought she would see again. On the side of it is an imperial warning to stay out, which she promptly ignores as she steps to the front door as if in a trance. She looks over the tiny front yard as ghost of her past echo in forgotten memories of tookas and other oddities being brought home, begging to keep them, of climbing trees, of transports going by and of laughter. Lots of laughter. Her throat tightens.

_"We're home!"_ The voice of her five year old self echoes through her head as if actually spoken followed by a door closing behind her. Sonya bites her lip in a vain attempt to stop her chest from aching. She turns to the lock on the door and uses the Force to open it. She steps in.

"I'm home..." She whispers to herself. She looks around. Everything is muted and faded, but had she not seen a fight take place here, she wouldn't have believed it. There are no signs of a struggle and the fear of imperials kept thieves away.

She closes her eyes, surrounded by things she had not thought of in years. She walks to a small room in the back not even bothering to open her eye as her five year old self takes her by the hand a drags her back there. She opens the door to and enters. Opening her eyes, she see her and Ezra's shared room. Faded pictures decorate the dull blue walls with a mural of trees, of which had been done by her and Ezra at various points in their lives. Two small beds sit on either side of the room one with a faded forest green blanket and the other a fading blue one. Shelves on the far side are stacked with old toys and picture books. The window over looks an over grown back yard.

_Ebby opens the window, "Come on! Let's go see the stars!"_

Their father had caught them sneaking in to the backyard a half an hour after that, but instead of being mad, he told them about different star systems. In the morning, they found themselves back in bed.

Sonya sits down onto the blue bed, her bed. It is so small. Had she ever been that small? Sonya got up and went to the wall by the door where a tree was painted but this one had little animals with balloons in it. Unlike the other trees, this tree had been untouched since they were toddlers. She kneels down, looking at it, eyeing the horizontal marks. She touches one marked with her name and the date it was marked. She was two. Then, her hand moves up the tree, Ezra at three. Her at four. Ezra at six. Her hand stops at the highest two. Unlike the other two-dozen or so marks, these were taken a week apart. Hers is marked by her seventh birthday. Ezra's is marked a week later on his seventh birthday. Looking at it, she crosses her arm, almost as if to keep herself together as the world around her fell apart.

Gone are the faded colors of the room, memories flash by so fast that a motion blur follows the characters as they dance through her vision in silence. Not one sound escapes of her mother's stories, her father's off-key singing of _Vode An_ or her brother's laughter as they pretend to be Jedi. She sees the years pass in silence. She some how manages to walk over to her bed and collapse on to it, content to stay in this land of the loss and silence. A single sound pierces the silence and stops her heart cold. The door opened.

* * *

Kanan walks into the ship, flanked by Zeb and Sabine. The supply run had been successful enough not to involve Hera having to come pick them up via a scoop job, so it normally would be turning into a pretty good day. Normally. Right now Kanan was just worried if Ezra had given any trouble to Hera. Sabine and Zeb drop their supplies in the cargo hold before heading to the commons to relax.

Kanan, first, wants to check out things with Hera. He opens his senses expecting her to be with Ezra. She isn't. But someone else is. It's not an unfamiliar presence, but one he can't quite place. The being cloaks their signature quickly. But Kanan senses enough to know they mean no harm, and are actually protective. That doesn't stop Kanan from bounding up to his padawan's room. As he enters the hall, he see a figure in a Jedi robe rush out of the room. The figure looks at him. He can now she it is a woman. The woman runs at him. Before he can react she's jump over him. She jumps down to the cargo bay not bothering to use the ladders. Kanan is not two steps behind her. She runs out into the fields. Kanan some how manages to grab her cloak, which she tumbles out of.

Kanan's jaw drops as the cloak slips out of his hands, "Mas... Master Akatsukin..." She was alive... Wait, shouldn't she be with her family? But there she is, not looking much older than the last time they saw each other fifteen years ago. He long brown just shy of black hair braided around her head. Her piercing blue eyes staring back at him. "How? Why?"

She just shakes her head, a sad resignation weighing on her. She brings her finger to her mouth as if to shush him. She then bows her head once in acknowledgement, a small smile on her lips. She summons her cloak to her and is gone.

Kanan stands in the field for a minute, before returning the ship. One question stands out the most. Why was she in Ezra and Zeb's room?

* * *

First thing that Sonya tries to do is to stop feeling like her heart is laughing at her. The second thing is say in a very authoritative voice, "You are out of uniform, Trooper."

Chance rolls his eyes, standing in the doorway in a pair of jeans and a beige shirt. "I'm off duty. And you know they don't like us in uniform while off duty."

Sonya raises her eyebrow. "No, no I don't."

Chase rolls his eyes thinking she is joking. "Funny." He plops down next to her.

Sonya sighs, "I'm never off duty. So, I wouldn't know." Chance looks at her in disbelief. Sonya, after a moment's hesitation, continues. "Inquisitors, because of their skills, don't get days off or breaks or anything... We are owned by the Empire. We can reap a lot from our positions but only by giving up every last freedom. We aren't allowed off certain zones while training, we aren't allowed family, we aren't able to do a lot of things."

Chance looks at her in horror as that sinks in and before he can stop himself he blurts out, "Why kriffin would you choose that?"

Sonya gets quiet and Chance sees her glaring at him. For the first time ever, he feels a shiver of fear run down his spine as her ice settles on him. The hate. The anger. The coldness. This was the girl his fellow troopers were afraid of. He shrugs off the feeling as best he can, but it still remains, settling on him like a coat of snow. Sonya says in a voice devoid of emotions, "Choice was the first thing they took."

And with that Sonya anger boils to the surface, having seen his fear spark in his eyes. She feels ill. She had trusted him and he... The fragile hope she had that maybe he had been genuine in his offer of friendship is gone. "Why don't you run away now? I'm sure your fellow troopers are more than impressed with the act of bravado that they put you up to."

"You know about that..." Chance sounds ashamed, though Sonya refuses to believe that is there. Instead her heart sink a little, that's the only reason anyone would get close to her. She had known or rather had an idea of what's going on. "That ended within the first I entered that office and saw you." Sonya looks at him, for once not masking her confusion. Chance sighs, "They built this big scary monster with a heart that could devour anything it wished, when they dared me to go into that room. But... when I entered the room all I saw... was a pretty girl looking absolutely exhausted from whatever had gone down on that star destroyer. And I wasn't afraid anymore... Everything after that, I did because I saw a strong beautiful kind girl who I enjoy spending time with. I swear."

"Your scared now." Sonya says, having sensed his fear. She swallows, wanting so bad to believe him.

"Only of what you have gone through. What you are going to go through. Sunny, you are my friend. I am grateful to that hazing because I got to meet the you don't like to show." Chance looks her in the eye as he says that. Not a drop of lies is seen with in his violet eyes. Sonya is at a loss of words to describe what she is feeling, that culminates in her feeling slightly nausea from all the head spinning emotions. Chance drops his gaze first, knowing she needs a change of subject. He glances around the room. "So, what is this place?"

"This place was my home."

Chances head snaps to Sonya, surprised she answered. He looks around with a new sense of wonder. His eyes land on the second bed. "My brother... He... He was the one to first call me Sunny. My father called us his Twin Suns after that..." Chance looks at the faded stuff in contemplation, with so many questions he wants to ask, but doesn't want to put Sonya through that.

Sonya knows what he is thinking, "My parents broadcast against the Empire. But... That's not why they were arrested..."

Chances spots the height marks and looks at them. He pauses at the last one. Doing the math, Sonya would be seven. "They stop."

"When I started training as an inquisitor..." Sonya says. Chance notice it's also when her brother's height stopped being recorded, too.

Chance just stares at the marks, "Why would the Empire take a do this?" Sure, Chance wasn't stupid. He knows the Empire isn't the greatest government to ever exist. But it brought peace and stability. And, with new cadets, it could change... right? This is just cruel.

He doesn't expect a response but Sonya's sad voice answers. "This." Chance turns around. His jaw drops. An old ragged stuffed tooka is floating in the air. It flies around the room. Then he see Sonya's hand follow it. No, it is _following_ her. The tooka lands in her lap, her face staring down at it. He kneels down looking at her face. "It's the Force." Sonya says. "It surrounds us, moves through us, and binds the galaxy together. My mother is strong with it. My brother is strong with it. I am strong with it. It's is what make the Jedi, Jedi. It is what makes an inquisitor, an inquisitor. A Sith, a Sith. It will is what leads us to our fates."

"That's scary." Chase says. Though, he has know clue what a Sith is.

"The Force is both good and evil. It is the user that decides which side to use. That is the way of things." Sonya says, a rare smile echoing on her lips convincing Chance this Force isn't as bad as he thought.

"What side does the Empire use?" Chance asks. In truth, he never really questioned the way things were. The Empire was just there. But, what they did to Sonya... Sonya stands up, without a word.

"Where are you going?" Chance calls.

"You can't be in good dreams, when your life's a hell." Sonya says, not even stopping. Chance spies the stuffed tooka on the bed before he follows her.

* * *

Ezra sits up in bed alone. He didn't want to go back to sleep but at the same time... He couldn't have that dream, again. It's to painful. He move to the floor to meditate, hoping to stop thinking about his dream. He only gets half way to the state.

The door slides open. Ezra blinks and sees Kanan standing in the door way. "Your suppose to be asleep." Kanan says. Kanan bends down an checks his temperature. Still too high, but not as high a before

"Couldn't. Not after that dream." Ezra sighs.

"Nightmares?" Kanan asks, slightly worried. The memories of the effects of the nightmares a few weeks ago are still to fresh.

Ezra shakes his head, "No, it was a really good dream."

"Then what's the problem?" Kanan asks confused.

"You wake up." Ezra sighs, resting his chin on his knees. "Dreams whether good or bad... just unsettle me. Bad is obvious why, but good... Growing up, waking up from dreams... good ones alway hurt, because I'd always wake up into a nightmare. And now it's not, but it still hurts waking up to them not being there."

"Them?" Kanan asks but he already has a pretty good idea.

"I dreamed about my mom... She was telling me stories... about the Jedi..." Ezra says. "That was always her favorite subject to tell, from the epic love story of Jedi Knight Miranda and Captian Snark to the pure silliness of a padawan filling the boys dorm with bubbles. The bubble one was always my favorite." Kanan grimaces at the fact he can never live the bubble incident down. Then he realizes something. How did Ezra's mom know about that? But before he could say anything he notices Ezra begin to nod off. Kanan sighs, that can wait he ushers Ezra off to bed.

* * *

**Thank you time! Thank you Paint the Wolf and DeltaGeneral42 for reviewing. Thank you TheUltimateAngela for following. You guys rock!**

**Question Time A: Which would you rather be a Jedi, a bounty hunter, a Sith or a civilian who doesn't have to deal with the majority of the conflicts?**

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	14. Chapter 13: A Failed Mission

**RUHLSAR000 Here! How's everyone here? Me, I've been questioning my sanity as to why I am taking summer courses by choice. Meh, sanity is over rated. Anyway, ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! THEY BELONG TO THE ORDER OF THE DISNEY KNIGHTS!**** I apologize for error, delays and long winded author's notes. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ezra is really glad pine cones are light, because the one that beams him in the temple as he exited the _Ghost_ would have really hurt otherwise. "Where ya been, Padawan?" D's voice laughs through his ear.

"Clearly no where with pine cones." Ezra turns to the right, hopping off the ramp, a smirk on his face.

D is standing there, trying to look stern but they both know she is failing, badly. "Oh, but you've been gone for weeks."

"Hey, you were on out two weeks ago when we stopped by." Ezra smiles. D sticks her tongue out at him. Ezra laughs at her antics. A big grin spreads over D's face.

"So, anything you can tell me about your adventures?" D goes over to a corner and hopes onto a crate.

Ezra smiles, a grin etched from ear to ear. He follows her. "I ran into an old friend."

"Oh?" D asks.

"Well, 'ran into' might be a stretch. More like stunned and thrown onto the back of the speeder she was using." Ezra says, hoping onto the crate next to hers.

"So friend was sarcastic." D says, mildly surprised. She must have completely misread him.

"Nope, she is my friend. Growing up she was one of my best friends." Ezra laughs, thinking over the crazy things they did. They raided the Empire a lot. They stole a lot of helmets He notices D staring at him. "What?"

D is flabbergasted, "Why would she stun you?"

"She didn't. Our other friend did, though it was probably her idea." Ezra shrugs.

"All right, story time." D mimics an eager child, causing Ezra to laugh.

Kanan shouts over to them before either has a chance to reply, "Hey you two, we have an op to brief for."

"Tell you later." Ezra smiles, hopping down.

* * *

This is a heck of a mission. D groans, "I hate vents!" She looks up, Ezra is a good ten feet in front and she can tell that distance is solely do to the fact he is _slowing _himself down as to not leave her quite literally in the dust. "How are you so fast?"

Ezra chuckles. "You're kidding, right? I grew up in sewers, vents and any other place you can make a fast get away. Vents were by far the nicest. I love 'em"

"You may but my knees, not so much," D groans. "You think it would be considered inching towards the dark side if I cursed the guy who found out about this insane plan of the Empire but couldn't get any documentation."

"Curse me after the mission. Right now we need to find out if they are actually trying to build that monstrosity." Ezra doesn't even pause as he turns down the left vent. This vent system is super simple. So simple that, Ezra wondered if the Empire was a new type of stupid.

"You? How?" D asks surprised.

"Vision. And considering that both Vader and Tarkin were in it, it can't be that far off." Ezra says, remembering that vision. That's how this whole thing started. A vision, an unusually clear vision. A vision so clear that they couldn't interpret it any other way. Sure, he couldn't hear what they were saying but how else could it be interpreted.

Everything started with that vision, so was it the will of the Force for him and Sunny to fight... Ezra shakes his head, _focus_. He can meditate on that later, but now he has a mission.

D groans, "Is it just me or has the heat been cranked up. I thought they couldn't turn the furnace on this high because of rationing on this planet."

It isn't just her. Ezra notices the arcing between nuts and swears. The design may be simple but that didn't make it easy. "It's not the furnace. These vents have a current running in them."

"Okay then. Why aren't we fried?" D wipes her forehead.

"Electricity takes the path of least resistance. It takes a lot of volts and amp to actually electrocute someone. Instead, they can pump a few hundred volts and a nondangerous amount of amps into the vents and let it become an oven, roasting intruders out. It will only get hotter." Ezra says. "Avoid the arcs though, those can zap you. We'll get out in the next room. It's too dangerous for a newbie vent crawler."

"Thanks." D rolls her eyes, knowing better than to complain about getting out of here. She brushes too close to a bolt. The shock causes her to give a sharp gasp of pain.

"I said watch the bolts." Ezra says, carefully taking out a plastic handle screw driver. As it approaches the head of a screw holding the vent in place, a bright blue spark arcs to it. Carefully, he removed it and they drop into an office. "We have to move fast. They will know we are coming out of the vents."

D smirks, moving to a computer on the desks. "Think the officer has the confirmation and stats?"

"No," Ezra says, not even blinking. "This sort of top secret stuff would only be available to the commander of the base. Office size generally indicates importance. This is probably some captain or supply martial.

The door slides open and an officer and a stormtrooper step in. With out missing a beat, Ezra and D draw their blasters and fire, knocking both unconscious. D hops over the desk.

"That was too close." Ezra says. D starts stripping the officer. "Woah, Girl! At least take him on a date first!"

"They are looking for two rebels, right? They won't look twice at an officer and trooper." D says, tossing the officer's jacket at him, hitting him in the head. "Here. You're a little short to be a stormtrooper."

Ezra narrow his eyes at her, "So are you."

"Not as much, Shortie." D says, moving onto the stormtrooper but couldn't figure out how to undo the chest armor. "Karablast! How do they get this off?"

Ezra smirks going over and easily removes the chest plate. "Here... It was a game between me and some street kids growing up to see how much armor we could lift armor off troopers without them noticing."

"What did your parents think of you playing with street kids?" D smirks, very clearly playfully.

"Um... Let's get these things on." Ezra says, fighting to keep the frown of his face. But, D see it and is left wondering what she said wrong. They quickly and silently put the officers clothes and armor on.

They headed out into the hall. Other search parties are running around, so they move quickly and purposefully. After a good five minutes D whispers, "I am surprised this is working so well."

"Rule number 3: Attidude is everything. You can get people to act however you want by how you act. You act like you belong, they won't bother to question it." Ezra mumbles back.

"And what set of rules are these?" D asks, after they pass another group of stormtroopers and officers.

"The rules of surviving on the street as a kid." Ezra says. "Plus, having two cells running distraction is useful."

D pauses, before saying, "I'll say. Judging by the audio being blared over the radio, the diversion is going really well." They duck down a hall, reaching their destination. D stands at the ready, blaster pointed at the door. Ezra hacks into the control panel. The door rushes open. D jumps in scanning the room. "We're clear." Ezra comes in quickly shutting and locking the door. "The distraction is going really well." Ezra turns to the door's control panels. A few twitches, a sardar, a screen popping up and half a dozen crossed wires after, he steps back and smirks.

D looks at the door then at Ezra, "But can you hack the commuter?" D smirks.

"Sorry, I can only do doors, but this should change the pass code every few seconds so no one can get in." Ezra says standing and walking to the computer.

"Would you like to _try_ and do the honors?" D smirks.

"No. I'm good." Ezra says, blushing slightly.

"Right," D plugs in immediately and hacks into the main frame. She plugs in a small data-stick into the computer to download anything they find. After a good two minutes she smirks, pulling up a window containing the classified material. Another password window pops up. D pops up the generic top secret skeleton key password of the Empire. After a moment, the documents load. D smirks, "Looks like you were right, Padaw-"

Red lights flash through the room, a moment later a siren blares.

"Kara-kriffing-blast!" D says, trying to move the files on to the data-stick, as she scans them.

"What's happening?" Ezra yells.

"There was a secondary procedure I wasn't aware of. The moment I opened the documents without deactivating that, I set off the alarm, I'd wadger. They know the others were a distraction! And that we're here. Karablast!" Ezra didn't need to prompt her. "Most of the data is blocked out."

"Then we need to go!" Ezra yells.

"Not until the data's done." D yells.

"But you said-"

"MOST! There still is damaging data here! Even if it's not about the super weapon." D yells back. A bang erupts against the door.

"Karablast! They're here!" Ezra yells, rushing to the door.

"Just a minute!" D begs.

Ezra looks at the control panel's screen, understanding the flashing picture of a door opening. "They are rushing through codes. My hack won't be able to keep up." They'll get in.

"Almost done!" D yells.

"Why does loading always take forever?!" Ezra thinking fast, draws his lightsaber and destroys the panel. The ability to use an override code on either side of the door is destroyed. "That should hold them." He turns to D and says, "We need another way out." D looks up at him and then out the window, a smirk crosses her face. She removes the data-stick as finishes it's downloading.

* * *

"You know, when the most reckless member of one of the most reckless cells says this is a stupid dangerous idea, he may have a point." Ezra says, leaning as close to the wall as possible. Both of his gloves are in his belt, so his hand could better cling to the impossibly small edging. His shoes are attached to his belt for a similar reason.

"I thought you thrived in places where no one goes." D snarks back, worry marring her face. She wants to peek so badly...

"Don't look down." Ezra says, not even looking at her, as the updraft tries to knock him off. At eleven stories, the height is enough to kill them, with one mistake. And it is a challenging climb, even for Ezra. A real baptism by fire for D in the art of dealing with height. "This was your idea." Ezra edges forward.

D maintains a bone-knuckle grip on the ledge above them as she slowly edges forward one step at a time. "Now I am regretting it."

"Loosen your grip. A grip that tight, won't make it any easier to hold on and you'll only get more nervous." Ezra coaches her.

"I think I am a good nervous level. Thank you very much." D snaps back.

"Come on. You can't let you emotions get out of hand, lest they control you." Ezra says, leading her around a corner.

"Who told you that BS?" D breathes in deeply.

"Kanan. Just as his master told him." Ezra says, stopping to look at her, as if daring her to say something. D wisely does not. Though it may have been as much to do with realizing the stone she was about to step on wobbled as it had to do with the source the annoying quote. Ezra moves more, allowing D to make a nerve-rackingly large step. D takes a deep breath, trying to calm her panic down. "You're being really talkative for someone's first time on a ledge." Ezra notes.

D is too focused to notice how strange that sounds. "Call it my way of dealing with it."

"Stop," Ezra says. D does so with out question. "I am going to break the window below us, so we can enter the room below."

D rolls her eyes, "How-" But Ezra is already going over the edge, his fingers catching the edge he was standing on a few moments ago. Not stopping his momentum, he swings. Less than half a second later, there is the distinct sound of glass shattering. A blast comes out of the building and there are sounds of a struggle. D breathes, chancing a look down. An officer leans out. He looks up. Most worry fades as D sees Ezra smirking at her, though the overwhelming desire to hit him upside the head remains.

"It's safe to come down." Ezra says. Yeah, the overwhelming desire to hit him remains.

"And how do I do that?" She says, sounding very unhappy, like it is an impossible task.

"Seriously?" Ezra raises an eyebrow, "Use the cable attached to the hip of your armor. Standard issue."

D glances to her hip. "Oh..." She braces herself against the wall before reaching a hand slowly out and taking the grappling end and embedding it into the wall. She gives it as much as of a tug as she feels comfortable giving. She slowly moves down a floor never once removing her hands from the building. When she was safely inside, she triggered the release. She looks around noting the three unconscious stormtrooper.

Ezra somehow finds something to tease her about, "You didn't need the cable the way you were climbing down." D promptly smacked him in the back of the head. "Ow!" Ezra chuckles. "Let's move. Before the sleeping beauties wake up."

D nods, "Hope these thing still work." She taps her armor. Ezra silently agrees as they move out into the deserted hall. Another two minutes pass, but it may as well have been two hours. This was not supposed to be a hard mission with two cells working together. Then again anything surrounding that station would be hard. They stride confidently and with purpose, to dissuade any troopers but there aren't any troopers.

They reach the second floor in silence. A girl in white runs down the hall. Ezra goes pale. The girl skids to a stop. D can't help but feel like she has seen this girl before. Almost like... a memory... From her shocked expression, D knows she would have gone pale if she wasn't already severely deprived of sunlight. But D can't figure out why. Well, until Ezra mumbles, "Sunny..." D's jaw drops as she mutters a choice word.

She looks on in horror as the girl Sunny pulls out a com, "I have found two rebels. I will be engaging." Sunny… Sonya pulls out two lightsabers and ignites them. She takes a step forward.

"Go. I'll hold her off." Ezra says.

D looks at him as if he is crazy, "I am not leaving you."

"You're not. Get the data to safety and get Specter 1. I'll need another Jedi to get out of this." Ezra says, not ripping his gaze from Sonya, as he pulls out his lightsaber and shoto. D bites her lip and nods. D turns to leave.

Sonya smirk, "Dhara? Is that you?" D freeze, that name ringing in her head. "Such a shame to see you on the rebel's side. You were so eager to prove yourself when you arrived at the inquisitor training center." Lies. D tells herself. But that name rings through her head. She a part of her knows it is her own. Did she really go into that horrible place willingly?

"Go!" Ezra orders. D follows the order. Her past doesn't matter. Even if she went to that place willingly, she fought harder to escape it. She is a rebel now, and she has a job to do. As she runs down the hall, she checks the com in her helmet, listening for where their teams are.

Ezra stares at Sonya. "Are we really going to have to do this?"

"Yes." Without another word she rushes at him, lightsabers spinning. Ezra blocks them and they are locked.

Ezra's blades are sliding back under her blades, "Why are you even here?"

"Supplies, data and luck," Sonya smirk, suddenly removing her lightsabers. Ezra falls forward, and with a swift kick, is on the ground. Sonya jumps up and looms over him. Ezra sends a sharp kick upwards into her gut, send her back and him back to his feet, grabbing his lightsabers in the process.

He barely has time to block the lightsaber coming at his head. He slides under her legs and runs down the opposite hall that D went down. Sonya growls, running after him. Ezra jumps down a flight of stares in two bounds. Sonya makes it in one. The room Ezra finds is a meeting room over looking a hanger. No way out.

Sonya bursts in, swinging toward his head. Ezra deflects, jumping on the table. He has the high ground. Time to use it. He attacks with two slashes and a quick jab, forcing Sonya to block. But she keeps her momentum going with a fast spin into a slash. Ezra blocks, but the maneuver give Sonya enough time to get on the table and land a punch with her hilts. Ezra's breath is knocked out of him, but he manages to block the next three attacks.

Ezra's instincts are yelling at him to get away. So he listens. He flips through the window over looking the hanger. He drops a story but land softly a wall of rust colored crates behind him. Sonya makes the jump as land in front of him. Sonya rushes him. Ezra side steps, as she runs passed. Sonya put one foot a crate, running up three crates, before flipping behind Ezra. Ezra barely has time to raise his lightsabers to block the flurry of strikes.

* * *

D is running as fast as her legs can carry her. Zeb and Willy should be close-

D isn't quite sure what happened but suddenly her head is ringing and she is on her butt, seeing stars and Willy's fist. Oh... D removes her helmet. "Not COOL!"

Willy looks at her, "How was I suppose to know it was you? You were wearing a bucket. Weren't you and Specter 6 supposed to take the vents."

"Imps have turned them into ovens and I have the burns on my hands to prove it." D glares

"Where's Specter 6?" Zeb looks around, visibly worried not seeing him.

"We ran into Sonya. He told me to get the data out of there and send back up." D says.

"YOU COULDN' HAV' STARTED WITH THA'?" Zeb yells.

"I'm still seeing stars." D yells back.

"Freeze!" A trooper yells. A squadron behind him has there blasters locked on them.

"Well break times over." Willy says, drawing out his blasters and firing

"Still wonderin' where all the troopers went." Zeb says aiming and blasting another round of troopers

"After me and Spector 6" D shouts, "There was a secondary procedure on their boss's computer." She starts firing into the squadron while dodging their return fire. A body flies out of the floor above. A few seconds later a white one flies out after it. Sonya and Ezra continue their battle.

"Kid!" Zeb shouts.

"Focus on our battle, Spector 4! We'll only distract him!" D shouts back, slightly amazed by the back flip Ezra just did to avoid Sonya's lightsaber and landing on a pyramid of crates. Sonya follows not far behind. With a gulp, D follows her own advice, keeping the troopers of Ezra.

* * *

Ezra dodges another slash of Sonya's blade, then counter attacks. Sonya blocks, but it is clearly hard, given she has the low ground. But that isn't going to stop her. The box under Ezra suddenly starts to move. Sonya, using the Force, throws the box, but Ezra hops down lower onto the pyramid. The crate breaks as it hits the wall. Sonya swings hard down on to Ezra. Ezra blocks but they are stuck in a stand still. Ezra is hit by an idea. He slides into a deeper stance, this does nothing for him in terms of dueling. But, it does allow him to activate the antigravity of the crate Sonya is on. Ezra gains the upper hand, as Sonya is force to move so she doesn't fall. He slashes, singing the ends of Sonya's braids as Sonya drops to a lower crate. Her lightsabers drop, getting lost in the myriad of crates. Sonya drops below Ezra's guard and tackles him. They fall five crates high, hitting each crate as they fall. They stop tumbling when the hit the ground. Sonya lands on top of Ezra. She begins punching him in the face, over and over again. Ezra focuses on the crates. They begin to move. Just as they reach the tipping point a stormtrooper breaks from the firefight and careens into Sonya pushing her to the ground and covering her with his body. The crates collapse over them. Ezra barely deflects them of hims. Sonya and the stormtrooper are buried, though.

"Specter 6!" Ezra hears D yell.

"Kid!" Zeb yells too.

With a groan, and the help of a crate, Ezra heaves himself into a standing position. "I'm alright..." He puts his lightsabers away and crawls out of the debry. "Can we go home?" Blaster fire goes over his head.

"That is an excellent idea." D says. The four of them rush out of the hanger. They see the three _Firebirds_ rushing around the sky distracting Ties. The phantom lands and everyone piles in.

* * *

Ezra is spending most of the debriefing with a pack of something frozen held to his face. He now sports two black eyes, a split upper lip and a fat lower lip. Frankly, Ezra is simply amazed that, while sore, his nose isn't broken.

"The information retrieved to the weapon is mostly blacked out." Ahsoka sigh. "Though we have confirmed that this weapon exists and the name of it."

"Which is?" Willy asks.

"The Death Star." Ahsoka says. "But beyond that the information is pretty much destroyed."

"So it was all for nothing?" D asks, standing up.

"No, we now know it exists. And the other information will be of great value." Ahsoka says. "We'll need to run another mission to get more information?"

"And how many more mission are we going to have to run to find it's plans?" D says. "We don't even know what they are planning on using to make the laser!" D sighs in frustration. Willy pats her on the back.

"Kyper Crystals." Ezra says. Everyone looks at him. "That's what they are using. At least according to Lothal's grape vine..." Ezra hits his forehead as the realization hits him, then breathes in sharply as the pains starts.

"What's the source of this rumor?" Ahsoka asks.

"The Pin." Ezra groans, distaste lacing his voice. "I don't know what it is officially called, and frankly don't know anyone does, but it is know as the Pin to most who know about it. Of course, the Pin would have information on the Death Star. That's where they imprisoned takens before shipping them off world for imperial projects. And the Death Star is know doubt their biggest project."

"Takens? Imprisoned?" Ahsoka asks, confused. Ezra expression darkens, prompting Ahsoka to move on.

"So, we sneak into the 'Pin'." Ahsoka says. "It's a type of prison." Ahsoka pulls up a hologram of a typical Imperial prison. "Ezra?"

Ezra sets the frozen thing down, "First it doesn't look like a prison. It would be a PR nightmare for the Empire if what the base was used for got out." Ezra move the hologram to a small imperial air field. "Secondly, the surface is a cover. The real base is a large rectangle underground." Ezra draws an large rectangle prism under the base. "Inside this is hundreds of movable walls allowing the floor plan to change constantly, creating a new maze each time a taken, or a kid who's parent's were taken by the Empire and had all their records removed from Imperial databases, can't find their way out. It is so bad that trappers will have to carry maps to find there way around."

"So we'll need to grab a map." Sabine says.

Ezra shakes his head, "They've gotten smarter. Last time I broke in there, two weeks ago, the maps the guards had were not accurate, with the purpose of confusing intruders." Then hesitantly, he adds, "If Sonya hadn't stopped me then, I would have walked right into a trap." Kanan's look clearly says they will talk about that later. "They would not have had time to shift the location of the computer room and the surrounding corridor though, since it is lower on the need to move list after a break out and has the most rewiring to be done."

"So you lead us there." Ahsoka says.

"I went to break into the prison. My friend went to the computer room." Ezra shakes his head, but stops as little stars enter his vision. He smirks, "But I bet she'd be delighted to help take a bite out of the Empire."

* * *

Sonya looks over the out of uniform trooper. Biting her lip, she stays in the shadows until the doctors leave. She goes to Chance and squeeze his hand with her good hand. It took all her years of learning how to control herself to stop herself from screaming when he wouldn't wake up after the crates tumbled on to them. She got out with a few bumps and a twisted left wrist. Chance hadn't been as lucky. With a sigh, she turns and leaves.

She marches down the hall and up several flights of stares. She knocks on the base commander's office door. It slides open. "Command-" Sonya cuts herself off. Lord Vader is sitting the commander's chair and the commander is pale. "I'll come back later." Sonya starts to back out. The door slides slam shut. Or not, Sonya thinks.

"Apprentice Yon. Why are you here? Should you not be hunting the Lothal rebels?" Lord Vader asks.

Sonya takes in a shallow breath, to calm herself without looking like she was calming herself, "My ship took on damage in an astroid field when we exited hyperspace. Lothal was strangely unequipped to make permeant repairs. We came here for repairs and supplies, as stated in my most resent report." After a quick decision that of what would happen should he find out from some other means, she add, "The Lothal rebel along with another unidenified cell were the ones that attacked the base. I came here to find out what they were looking for."

"It seems your failure persists." Lord Vader says.

"And yet had imperial security systems been under better protection, my failure would hardly have mattered, Lord Vader." Sonya defends herself, yet some how her voice comes out as submissive. "My intensions here were repairing, Lord Vader. As put my faith in Commander Valen's troopers for the security of his base and had mine aiding repairs of my ship and getting supplies, as well as some much need off base target practice."

"Commander Valen." Lord Vader turns to the commander.

"Yes, Lord Vader." Commander Valen's voice wavers as he tries to hide his fear.

"What are the protections for imperial data do you employed here?" Lord Vader's voice sends chills down Sonya's spine.

"The standard protection protocols for top secret information... And the addition of a deletion code should a secondary code not be used as insisted Apprentice Yon." Commander Valen responded. Lord Vader returns his gazes to the fifteen year old.

Were she not scared within an inch of her life, she'd have rolled her eyes. "With all due respect, Lord Vader, the standard fire wall protection the Empire uses for it's top secret info is a, for lack of a better word, joke. Anyone who works with it will have at least one back up, at the very least to block of the huge hole that open with a skeleton code. The ease at which the secondary level of protection I insisted on was add should show how big the hole is to those who know about.

"The hole is used as a backdoor for an Imperial programmer to get in quickly to make adjustments real time, but leaves it very exposed. Upon arrival, I was required turn over my ship's logs. Due to... the locations I am required to go in doing my job, I did not wish to leave it under standard protection, so I insisted that an extra step of protection was added to the computer while it held my logs." Sonya bites her lip as she realizes she was rambling.

"You may leave us, I wish to have a word with Commander Valen." Lord Vader says. Sonya needs no more of a cue, and leaves as fast as she can without looking scared. She is hardly surprised when the commander pops up dead.

* * *

**We got four reviews this week. Thank you Ichichi05, Paint the Wolf, Demonic Dragon and Demonic flame2307 for reviewing. Thanks for responding to Question Time Ichichi05 and Paint the Wolf. I would probably be a Jedi, a very klutz of Jedi but a Jedi. Demonic flame2307, it is an honor to be your first favorite, one of your first reviews and one of your first follows. Thank you. You guys rock! Thank you everyone for taking the time to read this chapter.**

**Question Time: What do you think happened to Sonya in the special chapter?**

**Please let me know what you think is going to happen in the reviews. I love hearing about that. I love it more than when someone praises the story.**


	15. Chapter 14: The Pin

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Life is insane and finding time to work on chapters is hard. So, how are you guys doing? I apologize for error, delays and the increasingly rare author's notes. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! THAT RIGHT BELONGS TO THE GREAT DISNEY!**

"Alright, where are these friends of yours?" Willy asks, as they land in a valley, far from much of anything.

"I'll give them this, they can sure travel." Zeb says, slightly amazed at the distance the Wind Tribe has covered.

A blast hit the ground. "Next shot won't miss." Talia's voice rings out. Everyone looks up and sees Talia standing on a ledge ten feet above them, blaster in hand. The Phoenix Cell gets their blasters, but Ezra steps forward.

"That's a very bold move, considering you can't hit the broad side of a barn with a blaster." Ezra smirk.

Talia lets out a laugh and smirks, "What you find another one of our parents?" Talia jumps down. "Or do we need to go beat him up?" Her voice lost all jokingness on the last question.

"No, I have checked in on them yet." Ezra says.

"So, then, Love, what brings you here?" Talia says. "Given the entourage, I'd say this isn't a social call." Talia eyes the unfamiliar people, "They suicide squaders?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny that statement." Ezra says.

Talia rolls her eye, "So, yes, to them being member of the rebellion."

Willy raises an eyebrow, "When did either of them say anything about the rebellion?" D and Sage just shrug.

"Well, then, welcome. I am Talia, co-leader of the Wind Tribe." Talia bows dramatically. "What can I do to aid in the wonderful cause of destroying the Empire?"

"Do you remember the way to the central computers in the Pin?" Ahsoka steps forward.

"I do. Planning an attack?" Talia asks. Ahsoka nods. Talia smiles. "How many Takens are aiding you?" At this point everyone looks confused, except Ezra who is rubbing the back of his head with an expression that says _I am about to get yelled at_. "There are other takens besides Ezra going, right?" Ezra slowly shakes his head. The look in Talia's eyes says _you are about to get yelled_. "Ezra, a word!"

Ezra pales. A torguta bounds over and skids to a stop. He looks between everyone before settling on Talia. "What's up? I heard you call Ezra, Ezra. Should I calm you down or back you up?"

"Back me up. Ezra's planning an op in the Pin with a bunch of people who don't know squat about it." Talia glares at Ezra.

"Ezra!" Orin yells, paling. Ezra sighs and walks a little distance away. Talia and Orin follow. They argue in harsh quiet tones. When a word or two does come out loud enough for the others to here it, it sounds like a different language. Kanan turns to ask Sabine what is being said, but stops when he sees surprise coloring her face. After two minute of arguing, Ezra seems to sigh in defeat. They march back over.

Ezra sighs, "Alright, since Talia doesn't think it safe sending in a group this large or without prior knowledge of the Pin, she is demanding that a smaller team with several members of the Wind Tribe going. Honestly, I am inclined to agree with that assessment."

Ahsoka starts, "We could never ask you to-"

"It gives us the highest probability of success. Besides, Talia won't give us the information with out it." Ezra says.

"We can discuss strategies at Base." Talia says, walking ahead. They follow to the Gale II. Several of the kids are playing a game of tag.

"Children?" Sage stares at them.

"The Empire's taken all our parent and any record that we exist. When they need free labor, they round us up and ship us off. That's what the Pin is, a place to store us before shipment." Talia says, sadly.

Willy looks pale, "I think I am going to puke."

"It gets worse. Without any records, no law can protect a taken because they don't 'exist'. It's hard but it has made us stronger. We have to know how to hide, to fight, to get information from the Empire. We can't do that, then we die." Orin shrugs.

"EZRA!" A little girl screams, coming out of nowhere and somehow jumping high enough to latch on to him.

"Hey, Ariadne." Ezra smiles, sitting down awkwardly.

"Ezra, who do you thinks will be most useful? We can't have more than seven to ten people on the entrance team." Talia says, sitting on a rock.

"What? If they are as dangerous as you say-" Sage starts, but the little Twi'ek silence him with a look.

"You want info on their computers? They can dump it in under three minutes two seconds and get logs from Corusaunt at a later date." Talia says.

"Stealth is absolutely required when dealing with the Pin. It's a maze, and, trust me, you don't want to be solving it with trappers on you back." Orin adds, sitting down on her left.

"Sabine and D are both going technical wizards. And Sabine knows her way around explosive." Ezra says, "We'll probably need both."

"I want Alex there. So... that's me, Orin, Ezra, Alex, Sabine and D. At least two more spots to fill."

"What about me?! I want in." Ariadne says from Ezra's lap.

"No." Ezra, Talia and Orin say in a remarkable unison.

"You need me! I can out shoot anyone of them." She points to all the rebels.

"I don't doubt that, Ariadne." Ezra says, "But you need a bit more experience with the Pin to go in there purposefully. Besides your wrist is still injured, don't deny it."

"So's Talia's!" Aeries argues.

"Yeah, but I also have two of them." Talia's voice indicates this is the end of the discussion. Aeries huffs and walks off. Ezra sighs.

"So, with regards to muscle..." Talia continues.

"Willy will stick out less." Ezra sighs, giving an apologetic look to Zeb, who looked ready to argue.

Before Zeb could argue, Collin steps forward, "I'd like to volunteer."

"Collin, we need to be strategic-" Talia begins.

"You know I can shoot almost well as you, Talia. That's not the issue. So, let me rephrase this. When you go on this op, I will be storming the Pit, with or without you." Collin says.

Willy raises an eyebrow. "Since apparently Talia can't hit the side of a barn with a blaster, I'm not sure if that's something to brag about, kid."

"Then it's a good thing I don't shoot with a blaster." Talia says, going to a D-shaped piece of pvc pipe leaning in against the transport. She knocks an arrow and pulls back. "Black dead tree. Branch. "The group follow her eyes to on see a dead tree with one thin branch about hundred yards away. She releases the arrow and silently nails the branch, "Collin could probably hit the tree with either a blaster or bow." Talia shakes the pain from her wrist. It is mostly recovered from her last trip to the Pin but it was still soar when she shoots. Hence, her using a blaster before. The others', with the exception of Ezra, eyes widen in shock.

Talia sighs, looking at Collin, knowing she has no power over Collin unless he concedes, "Fine. That is eight. Anyone else you deem necessary, Ezra?"

"I'm going." Kanan says. Ezra can't help but smile at his master.

"Alright." Talia nods, "Parts." An old astromech that make Chopper look new rolls up and portrays a hologram of a small ship base. "This is the Pin. There are approximately thirty trappers and twelve officers at any one time. All armed. They have two types of weapons. Blaster, which are permanently set to stun as their primary mission is to capture. Those are a pain, but you know how to deal with them. The real pain are their dart guns." The holo shifts to a blaster-like device. "The darts are coated with a paralyzing drug that, without an injection of detox, can leave you dead within an hour. As Ezra can clearly state having been shot with it not two weeks ago." Everyone eyes Ezra.

After thirty minutes of planning, Talia sighs for the umpteenth time. "No, that would alert them immediately."

"Well, then what do you suggest?" Ahsoka asks, after having the forty-seventh idea shot down.

"Simple. I suggest asking Ezra as he's had an idea for the past ten minutes." Talia says, glancing over at him.

"Ezra?" Ahsoka asks.

"You're not going to like it. You are really not going to like it." Ezra says, looking from Talia to Orin. He rubs the back of his head.

"There are no stupid ideas at this point of planning." Orin says, smirking. If there were, they wouldn't have gotten into half the stuff they did.

Ezra breathes and holds up two fingers. "Two words: Root Canal."

"That is a stupid idea." Talia and Orin say in unison. Then Talia add, "That is a really stupid idea."

"I don't mean an actual one. I mean a fake one." Ezra shoots a glance at Kanan and Willy. The light bulb goes off in Talia and Orin's heads. Orin starts laughing, unable to do anything else.

"Kriffing Huttslime, that isn't a bad idea." Talia sighs, sounding defeated.

"Root Canal? Want to fill us in?" Kanan says. The groups continue planning for another two hours, hammering out a decent plan. It starts tomorrow at sunrise. Afterwards, the two crews returns to their ships.

Collin leaned against the Gale II, looking at the colors painting the sky from sunset. "That was pretty gutsy." Talia's voice startles Collin. Talia leans next to Collin.

Collin sighs, "I... I am going to ask them if I can join the rebellion."

"Collin..." Talia starts, but changes what she was going to say, "How much thought have you put into this?"

"I don't know... It something I've wanted to do since my parents were taken. I never once thought I could though. Then Ezra shows up, a member of the rebellion... I don't need to hear the Wind to know what it is telling me. Besides, I want to do this." Collin says.

Talia sighs, "You may never see the tribe again..."

"I know..." A tear slides over Collin's cheek.

"You sure about this?" Talia asks. Collin nods. "Then we will support you in anyway we can."

Collin smiles, looking at her. "May I hug you?" Talia nods before being almost knocked over by the kid. Talia glances up into Orin's eyes. They both swallow the pit forming in their throats.

* * *

"Alright, Distraction Team is in position." Cely's voice played through the com. Cely, Mzia, Yue and Sophia had proposed to play distraction to draw attention away from the base. Talia isn't happy, but given that the girls were better armed than normal she conceded.

"Good, how's Base?" Talia asks.

"We have a lot of unhappy people but we are ready to launch should things go south." Ahsoka's voice responded.

"Initiating radio silence, good luck everyone." Talia says into the com. Ezra sighs. This plan is nuts. They are probably sacrificing the Gale II to get into base. Kanan and Willy sit in the driver and shot gun seats, neither one thrilled to be dressed as stormtroopers but they need it. Orin fingered the handcuffs in his palms. Ezra and him look at each other. Neither one needs a word to say this is nuts. D bites her lip; the tension in the takens is unusually palatable for her. They didn't like this plan. _She_ didn't like this plan.

"Why are they require to wear uniform in the Pin?" Kanan asks, worried.

"Because the Empire is a bureaucracy." Orin rolls his eyes.

"We're in." Talia says, as she sees the response to the access code she sent in. "Team B and C into the closet." Ezra, D, Sabine, Talia and Alex go into the closet that a few weeks ago held detox and weapons the trappers needed in the fields. Orin and Alex put on unlocked handcuffs.

"No matter what stick to the plan, unnecessary improving will kill you here." Orin says. The transport pulls over. Kanan and Willy escorts the two kids out like prisoners.

Almost immediately the plan goes array. An officer flanked by two stormtroopers is waiting to inspect the prisoners. Orin bites his tongue to keep from swearing. Collin does not.

"Captain Orles. I thought I recognize your stench from the transport." Orin glares up at him.

"Commander, actually," Commander Orles corrects.

"Did the man holding your leash decide to take an early retirement?" Orin's eye cool even more.

"Early retirement indeed. No doubt that little girlfriend of yours bragged about killing him as soon as you returned to your little gang." Orles says, in a condescending voice.

Orin is stunned though, "She doesn't kill. Not since she accidentally killed Ebby." Orin lies about the second part, though the first is absolutely true. Talia had made numerous modifications to insure no one would ever be hurt that way.

"So the incident of all three of you being spotted together a few weeks ago was just imagination?" Orles says, not at all convinced.

"No, it was the idiots trying to avoid trouble, the trio, the big ehn, that no trapper could catch together. Now, why would they lie when they came back empty handed." Orin smirks. Orles punches him in the gut, knocking him to the ground. Collin slams his foot into Willy and Kanan's feet, surprising both of them before rushing to Orin. To the outsider it looked like a prisoner trying to break free of his guards, but Collin was stopping them from rushing forward to help Orin on instinct. The glare Collin sends the two was clear, stick to the plan.

"You two." He says to the two trappers on either side of him. "Take him to the torture chamber."

"Sounds... Like... Fun..." Orin groans, as he is hoisted up.

"You two," He looks at Kanan and Willy, "Take him to the holding cells." He takes out a very small data stick. Kanan and Willy recognize it as a map of the base. He hands it to Kanan. Kanan takes it and they both salute. The three walk into the base.

After fifteen minute teams B and C come out of hiding. Team C is Alex and Sabine. Team B, D, Ezra and Talia, would retrieve the information from the computers. With a quick nod between them they sneak out and slow make their ways in separate directions.

"This way." Talia whispers, as they enter the winding halls. D goes to walk around a corner before she can, both Ezra's and Talia's hands grab her a pull her back. Ezra also put one hand around her mouth. Talia listen closely before pulling out a broken piece of mirror. She puts it on the ground and angles it on the corner. After a moment, she pulls it away and tucks it back into a bag on her waist. She uses her hands to flash them a two a three and a one. D sees Ezra nod. Another breath and Ezra is pushing her to the wall and down but releasing her mouth. As curious as she is she remains silent. Two troopers walk by completely oblivious to them. It hits D. Talia and Ezra were signaling each other and checking the corners.

"You going to tell me what the signals mean?" D say quietly when the two visible relax.

"First hand is their numbers. Following a hand showing there danger level one to five." Ezra shrugs as they go around the corner.

"Anything else?" D asks unimpressed by them keeping that a secret.

"None that we can teach in five minutes, beside most involve Orin." Talia mumbles, as they approach the corner. Talia repeats the process with the mirror. Her hand closes into a fist and she motions like a knock. With out a word Ezra starts around the corner. D realizes that it meant clear. D follows, feeling like a third wheel after each corners. There are a lot of corners.

* * *

Kanan, Willy and Collin reach the detention block without further incident, a few guards even pointed them in the right direction. They are greeted by the trapper on guard duty. The guard waves them through, "Just put him in cell 5. That one's empty. Huttslime. Orles has gotten paranoid. Though with that break out, who can blame him. I can't wait to shove a dart at that Twi'ek. Maybe I'll be a little forgetful with the detox. Am I right, guys?"

"Yeah, right," Willy says, trying to keep their cover.

"I don't recognize you..." The guard says through his helmet. "You new or something?"

"Ah, yeah," Willy says nervous.

"They never tell us anything..." The guard grumbles. Then he starts, "Where's the kid-" He is knocked unconscious.

Collin stands behind him, holding the guards blasters, "You done flirting?"

Willy gives a good laugh, "You got spunk. When did you get the blaster?"

"We need to tie him up and remove his com." Collin says.

"Willy." Kanan says.

"On it." Willy nods, walking over to the fallen trooper. He take the keys from the trooper and tosses them to Kanan. "Good shot, kid."

Collin and Kanan move through the prison. When they hit an occupied cell Kanan uses the key to open it. A total of three cells are occupied. One is occupied by a black hair twenty-one year old girl in a leather jacket, her hands wrapped like a fighters. Another, a rodian at the age of nineteen unusual scrawny. But when he was free he rushed to embrace the girl, who smiles gently.

"Thank you." The Rodian says. The girl looks troubled, "We aren't out yet."

"Karablast." Collin says, checking through the food slot. "Can we leave this guy?" He points at the occupied door.

"What? Collin it not like it's Axel." The girl smirks. Collin sighs, taking the key and opening the door, revealing a seventeen-year-old blonde human. The girl's jaw drops, "Oh look, it's Axel."

"Come on, we have to move." Collin sighs. "And this is the hard part." Axel and Collin glare at each other as Axel walks out of the cell.

"Don't cha love politic?" The girl snarks, to Kanan who has removed his helmet. "Axel and the Wind Tribe don't get along. Though it is nothing compared to Big Ezra/Axel thing."

"Agatha, shut up." Axel growls out.

Agatha just shrugs, "Kriff off, Tooka butt."

"No one likes Axel," the Rodian say.

"Let's go." Collin sighs. They begin the long stress inducing trek out. Tension is visible in the takens.

Alex sighs in relief as another trooper pass, blind to them. They are in the lowest level and that was causing every nerve he has to stand on edge. It takes all his restraint to not fire at ever trooper to pass. Sabine looks up at him and nods. The remote explosive is set. Five more to go. Sabine hadn't been happy about not using her staple bright colors, but after much prodding, had admitted it would be better that way. With Alex return the nod, they go to the next location.

* * *

Orin flung his unconscious and tied up guards into a supply closet. His handcuff weren't locked, but that didn't give much advantage as the trappers have long since become used to takens being able to pick locks easily. And not wanting to alert everyone to an escapee, he had two wait till they were momentarily distracted trying to strap him into the torture device. It hadn't been fun and he was sure to be sporting a few new bruises. But now he needs to focus on getting to the Gale II.

* * *

Sonya leans down and brushes Chance hair from his face. It amazes her, years without any desire to heal, and now twice in a little over a month she longs for it. A groan escapes his lips. A small smile reaches her lips. She starts up as she senses something.

She returns to the shadows right before a nurse walks in. He is a tall skinny man, the largest scrubs the Empire made looked ridiculously baggy and his shirt seriously needed to be cinched. The nurse checks him over. Chance groans again. The nurse begins to check if he is waking up. He goes to fetch a doctor.

After moment, Chance smirks, "You going to stay in the shadow." Sonya jolts, surprised he noticed her. Sonya steps out of the shadows to... to what? Thank him? Heck no. Scold him for recklessness. Yeah, that would go oh so well. So she doesn't say anything. They stare at each other in silence. Sonya's eyes say she is not pleased, and most would hide for fear of being turned to ice. "So..." Chance starts, trying to think of something to say. Then he smirks. "Did you wait here this entire time?" Sonya chooses to ignore his words. She didn't, she had debriefings and paperwork and Lord Vader to deal with... But she did spend a good portion of her rare free time in the shadows of the medical ward. Chance smiles, "Ah, you do care."

"You overstep your bonds, Trooper." Sonya says in a cold, reserve voice.

"You love it when I do." Chance says back. Sonya walks out of the room. She slips away unnoticed by the medics.

"Rule 2: Don't have weakness. Weakness means death..." Sonya mutters as she enters her room. "Rule 3: Caring is a weakness." Sonya sinks to the floor leaning against the wall. Sonya glances up to her desk, Her breathing turns shallow as it had when she first opened the jar Inquisitor Offee sent her with a note saying "Remember". Like she ever could forget. Offee had insured that the large jar sat in he room at the training area for years. Her master had gotten it away from her, but he couldn't anymore. Sonya stares at the severed head of a clonetrooper froze at death, begging her not to look. She had looked. "It truly is..." Sonya mumbles.

**Thank you time! Thank you Paint the Wolf, Ichichi05, SWFangirl, and Midnight Luna for reviewing. Thank you Senrina for favoriting and following.**

**I think Sonya turned to the light sight and is merely away on a mission or something, maybe. Ezra would have seen how hard it was for her to do that. Luke, too, would know how hard it. And they would know how rare its. Or I am being obnoxious and trying to mess with your heads. ;)**

**Question Time 1: What is your favorite OC in this story?**

**Question Time 2: What do you think of what Sonya called D in the last chapter?**

**Please Review**


	16. Chapter 15: Don't Break the Rules

**Hey People! RUHLSAR000 Here! And I am happy. I found out I am getting a beautiful 81% in my summer courses at the halfway point. Ner Vod broke its record for most reviews in a single week. That was awesome. This chapter was a lot of work, mainly because I had to chain the ending for future chapters, but by the time I finished rewriting the ending it was long enough to be its own chapter. So, that's next week's chapter and I needed to further expand this part. Not really a big deal and I think it turned out really well. Let's get on with it. I apologize for delays, errors, and long winded author's notes. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! THEY BELONG TO THE MASTERS OF DRAMA, DISNEY!**

* * *

The tension is palpable between the three. D doesn't understand why, well she knows why, but it doesn't feel like it is connecting. Talia is a taken, these people attack her and her tribe. And not just hers but many others, not just on Lothal. D was definitely going to talk with higher up about destroying these bases. Helping people and putting kinks in the Empires plans, it is what they did. What she did.

_ You came so willingly_. Sonya seemed to know her. Dhara, she had been called. D shakes her head. Now was not the time for an identity crisis. That could be later. Now, she need to focus.

Talia checks the corner. "Five!" She says in a voice that is clearly fighting a yell. Five trappers! Before D mind could process, a lone trapper with his helmet off comes around the corner firing a dart faster that her eye could respond. She feels a prick on her right shoulder. The grey metal walls that all look the same tilt. D tries to fling out her arm. To catch herself or fall like she's been taught, she doesn't know. But they do neither. Her right temple hits the floor with nothing slowing her down.

Talia kicks out at his legs. He jumps reaching for his helmet a few feet away. Ezra blasts it out of his reach, before trying to shoot him. The trapper dodges five blasts. D is scared, her chest is refusing to work right. It feels like an few large datapads are on top of her chest, another being added at each moment.

The first thing D could register was pain. It fires from her right temple, across her forehead and over the back of her head stopping an inch from her left temple. She couldn't think of anything but the pain. She could help it, she could even register that they needed to be silent. She screams. Due to none of her own restraint, there is a softening edge on the tale end of it. Ezra has no doubt it's due to the dart beginning to put minor constraints on her ability to breath.

The man fires at Talia she jumps back, getting an arrow nocked at the same time. She fires three shoot fast than his dart gun can load, forcing the man to dodge. Talia's eyes don't move away from him. They eye each other Talia looking for openings, the man looking for a game of cat and mouse. They both know it. And Talia knows that if she were alone, that's all it would be.

The second thing D realized was she probably doesn't have a concussion, due to the lack of memory loss. Well, no more than normal anyway. She knows what she calls herself. She remembers her friends. She remembers her mission. She remembers the plan. She remember what that bloody Inquisitor that is known to her as Padawan's sister had said. With that a surge of relief floods her.

Ezra come out of nowhere, but the man still catches and throws him into a wall.

D tries to jump up, despite her ringing ears and mild dizziness. D realizes a third thing.

Ezra's distraction is all the distraction Talia needs. She lands a taser arrow into his gut.

D cannot move her body.

With the stun blast, Ezra shots the trapper is out cold.

D feels panic entering her chest. That only makes it harder to breath. Trying to breath deeply, she catches something in the back of her chest. She needs to cough. She can't cough. The increasing panic causes the pain to increase linearly. The pain increases in her chest, along with the weigh settling on her chest.

Talia sighs, "I hate danger level five."

"D!" Ezra rushes to her. "Talia-" Talia already has a Detox pen out and is stabbing it into her vein. The crate on her chest eases. D coughs and coughs, unable to stop and not really wanting to.

"That was a good shot..." Talia mumbles. "We'll have to be careful, I only have one more with me." Talia shoot Ezra a look. Talia drags the trapper away. D stifles the last of her coughs. Her head hurt like heck and her entire right arm is asleep and she still couldn't move it. She's also absolutely exhausted. But, she has never been so grateful for the cool air filling her lungs, her throat and her mouth.

Ezra pulls D onto his back. "Don't worry. Your responding to the detox, you'll be back to your normal self in half an hour or so. Since it hit your chest, it's affects on you limbs should be minimal, once your breathing returns to normal you'll just be a little tire." He tries to comfort but D can see the worry in his eyes. It there stronger than all of the emotions he keeps hidden behind a wall...or a shield... Had that guard always been there? Yes, she realizes it has.

That stuff, the paralyze darts, scares him.

The worst part of this is it takes two fighters out during their mission. But that's not the worry she sees in his eye. No, the worry is of someone who has seen this before... The pieces snap together. Ezra is a taken, like Talia. And has been one for along time, judging by his knowledge of the takens. This place probably haunted his nightmares growing up. It probably still haunts his nightmares. It's enough to make her feel queasy.

"I know detox makes you sick, but try not to puke on me." Ezra says, with a reassuring smile. D realizes for the first time just how amazing that smile is.

* * *

A trapper rounds the corner. Collin shoots him before the trapper even looks up. Then he goes and deactivate the trapper's com as Aggy and her boyfriend shove him into a closet like a well oiled machine. Each of them has a part and each of them argues about that part. "You guys really know what your doing?" Kanan nots.

Aggy wipes her forehead, "A taken becomes paranoid about this place within a year of becoming a taken. This place is one of many nightmares that sway in our minds at night. That fear is part of the reason inter-tribe politics break down in here. Well, most of the time." She cringes slightly, but continues explaining.

"It's actually how we met." She nods to her boyfriend. "Considering our tribes hate each other. We're not as good as the carebear n' his siblings at blazing through here, though. They must have done... a hundred... rescues. No one knows this place better. I bet they would have probably destroyed the Pin eventual'y, had their fight hadn't started. Carebear probably still wakes up in the middle of tha night, planning out kriffin crazy rescues."

"The fall out was really bad because of that..." Her boyfriend adds, Kanan still didn't know his name and he didn't look like he was going to volunteer it.

"They worked it out a few weeks ago." Collin says.

Both the Rodian and Aggy stop in their tracks, "Seriously?"

The Rodian eyes him, "Meesa remember it. She broke his nose!"

Aggy is equally astounded, "Rightfully so! We were there. The carebear's actions, his lying, are unforgivable." Collin reminds himself that the Gear tribe, Aggy's tribe if she ever got back to them, is a non-care tribe. The type of tribe where if you can't keep up you get left behind. Where the only one who will watch you back is you, yourself, and only you. The type of tribe where you do what you have to, to survive. The type of tribe where if you swear your trust and compassion with someone, you better never take it back. And you never ever lie about taking that trust back. Because that trust is so hard to come by. It's hard. It's doesn't make sense to an outsider.

It's Aggy's tribe. And, for a while, it was Talia and Orin's tribe. It's the only tribe that Ezra's tribe. It had been everyone's tribe before Talia, Orin, and Ezra's fall out. It was so strange. A taboo of the new type of tribe, the care tribe type, is the action that created it.

Collin shakes his head. There would be time to ponder later. Right now they need to focus.

Willy notices something strange, "Where's Axel?"

Aggy sighs, "Axel is a lot like my tribe... He doesn't care about others. If he's not in command, he'll ditch."

"From what I hear, he is good at looking out for himself." Collin says, rolling his eyes. Axel ingrained himself in the old order, and it ingrained itself in him. He couldn't break it as much as he could stop breathing. He couldn't adapt to the new style. That honestly wasn't unusual at all. Perhaps thats why Aggy stayed with the Gear tribe. Perhaps that's why the Gear tribe is still a non-care tribe.

Collin kneels down at a corner. "He'll get out. We need to move now-" Collin freezes as he checks the corner using a mirror. "Huttslime!" Everyone is on guard instantaneously. But, Collin walks around the corner and stands out in the open with his hands on his hips. A glare decorates his brow. "Ariadne! Caleb! Leedo!" He says. The Little Ehn have the decency to look sheepish. Though this may have been due to them knowing they are in a load of trouble, with someone actually using of the actual names.

Caleb and Rodi love their sister but not enough to take the fall, "It was Aeries's idea!"

Collin sighs, looking down at her, "I don't know whether to be glad you weren't stupid enough to come alone or mad that you're endangering your siblings. And I am sure Talia will know what to do. Seriously, with what we are planning... If we didn't find you... I really shouldn't be surprised you did this..."

"We got maps and figured out the system they are using to not get lost." Aeries says, pulling out the maps. "You're going the wrong way that exit is right by the bunks. I would suggest going to the exit that lets out in the fuel storage building"

Collin looks at the maps in Kanan's hands and back to Aeries. "Welcome aboard."

Aeries smirks, reaching up and punching Collin's arm, "Yeah, I thought so." Aeries shakes out her hand, wincing slightly. Caleb shots her a look say _This was a bad idea_. Aeries shrugs. Caleb still agreed to come. Caleb rolls his eyes, asking himself who the bigger fool is; the one gets into dangerous situations, or the one who faithfully follows to make sure she safe. He has a sneaking suspicion that it was the latter.

* * *

"Karablast! Cluan-" The officer was out faster than Talia lets loose a swear word. Talia drags him in while Ezra sets D down at one of the computer control panels. Ezra doesn't need a word to go and lock the door.

D shifts her hands, "Well, I am getting some feeling back in my hands." Her right hand still has the feeling of pins and needles.

"What do you need me to do?" Talia asks.

"I am cracking open the computer." D pulls out a screwdriver, ignoring the increasing sensation of pins and needle as she grabs it. "We went for subtle last time. Now, I am just taking as many of the hard drive as I can. Can you hack the stuff that is connected to their imperial network?"

"Have before." Talia sets to work downloading everything she can onto data-sticks, she scans the documents as they come in. One stops her, a report of a dead trapper. That's unusual. Her interest peaked, she further examines it. Her jaw slackens as she reads and she can't even bring herself to swear due to her being in to much thought. They think she killed a trapper. Not just any trapper but Captain Eye-Patch, himself. With the trappers weird sense of loyalty to themselves... They would never stop hunting her, not until she and those she cares for are dead. They've done it before. Talia feels hear gut twist as she realizes what she needs to do.

She feels Ezra squeeze her shoulder. He senses her distress and looks at the report. He glares at it, trying to understand it. Talia puts her hand on his hand and shakes her head. She continues downloading. The future needs to stay there. The present is now, and if she want to make it to the future she needs to get out of enemy territory.

Twenty minutes later, they had everything the Pin has access to. "Anything else?" Talia asks, not wanting to have to come here ever again.

"I think we have every ounce of information this place can give." D say, packing away ten data-sticks and three computer drives into a small pouch attached to her hip.

"Then we need to move." Ezra say, as a banging came from the door. "That's never good." Ezra takes out his lightsaber aiming it at the door.

"The vents!" D suggests.

Talia shakes her head knocking an arrow, "Too small. Even Vivi would have trouble fitting." D nods, taking out her pistol. D breathes, _Pain is an illusion_. She repeats that herself a few times, will herself to ignore the pins and needles feeling. The door springs open as fifteen trappers flood in. Ezra dodges by jumping behind a control panel and using the Force to push it at a group of trappers. They dodge nailing, his arm with a stun blast.

D is ducking behind another large console. She breathes focusing on the Force letting it spin around and into her. She smiles as the Force washes the last of her ill feeling away. She springs out form her hiding spot, landing on one trapper, pistol whipping him in the process before jumping at the next guy.

Talia spins as fast as she can, hitting everyone near her. Most of the trappers are on her because of the trappers' confused state of mind. A half a seconds eye contact is all she needs with Ezra. That's all she needs to bound over to him in two leaps. That's all he needs to catch her and swing her around as she lands a kick on every trapper who surrounds him. Ezra releases her sending her flying into the last trapper still standing, fighting D.

Talia stand, "They'll be more soon. Move!" They didn't need to be told twice.

"So much for not solving the maze with troopers breathing down our necks." Ezra smirks. D whacks him on the back of the head. Talia spares a chuckle at the two. They booking it back to the Gale, all the while begging silently not to get lost.

* * *

Collin sigh poking the mirror around the corner. After a moment he says, "Huttslime."

"Level fives?" Aeries pales at the thought. Every taken moves into a battle stance. Talia walks around the corner, her left eye twitching.

Collin says, "Worse."

Talia takes a deep breath. The little ehn all cover their ears. Ezra walks around the corner, "Let's not get the entire base on us." Talia breathes out. Ezra looks at Aeries, "You and I will be having a conversation later that you will not enjoy."

"How do you know it was my idea?" Aeries says, with a smirk. Ezra raises an eyebrow. Aeries looks to her sides and sees Caleb and Rodi pointing at her, while shooting apologetic smiles. "Ah, kirff." Willy, D and Kanan all do a double take at the swearing nine year old.

Aggy shrugs, "What? She hangs out with Talia? She was bond to pick it up eventually. Now lets get the kiff out of here."

Talia freezes, "Where's Wind 2?"

Collin starts "He-"

But Talia interrupts him, "Thank little kindnesses." She relaxes a bit. Orin rushes down the corridor.

Orin double backs down the hall, "What are you standing around for! Time to move!" Three trapper burst after him. Ezra gets a few blasts off, covering their exit.

"Aeries!" Collin says.

Aeries examines the map quickly before pointing to the right corridor, "This way!"

It isn't long before Sabine and Alex join them. "Is the surprise ready?" Talia asks. Alex confirms with a nod.

They burst out into the landing platform. All the takens let out at least one swear word. Ten in Talia's case. Kanan ruefully understands what Agitha meant about swearing. Surrounding them is a heck of a lot of stormtroopers.

"They got smarter." Ezra whispers. Orin nods.

"It only took them a decade." Talia whispers back. Talia steps forward slowly, the trappers react cautiously. "Geeh... There are one... two.. ten... twenty... thirty-two- no I counted him twice. There are thirty-one of you plus what ever paper pushers you arm against... oh... eight of us. What can a poor girl do?" Ezra groans, knowing what she wants to do and slowly moving to the outside of the group and getting in position. He sees Orin do the same. They nod at each other. He takes out his lightsaber and connects with the Force. He feels Talia do so as well, subconsciously and to a lesser extent. Aeries does so, too. She looks to Ezra for confirmation of her allowance to join in the maneuver.

"Give up. You are surrounded." Commander Orles orders

"No, going to happen, Nerfherder." Talia shoots back, side glancing to Orin and Ezra to see them in position. She feels the Wind surround Aeries. Talia lets out a soft resigned sigh.

Ezra glances at both Talia and Orin. Both give a swift nod.

"You have no hope of escape!" Commander Orles yells.

He nods. Talia remove her blaster. It's the only way they could ever pull this off. "Hm..." She pretends to ponder while looking at her rarely used blaster. A few trappers glance at each other, confused, but do nothing to stop her. She's useless with a blaster. If she went for the bow around her shoulder, that would be different.

Then Talia holds it in the air, "Oh, how about this." She, Aeries and Ezra fire at the same time. Their blasts colliding and bouncing into dozens of tiny blast scattering around the field breaking the trappers formation.

Orin immediately starts blasting a path to the Gale II. The blast firing around shoot across air like hyperspace, creating a beautiful and deadly hall. Talia takes off her bow and starts nailing people, left and right. Alex shoots darts out of the sky. Collin is blasting blasters out of peoples' hands. But it's not enough.

The rebels and takens make it about half way to the Gale II, before being forced behind some storage crates for cover. "You'd think they'd learn not to store things outside," Talia leans out releasing an arrow before ducking back. Willy whispers to D, "If they all can shoot like this then, I am seriously talking to Fulcrum about having them all recruted."

D ducks down as a blast goes overhead with barely and inch of clearance. "I think that's brilliant. Let's survive first." A ball rolls behind the crates.

Collin sees it first. "Bomb!" They all dive out of the cover. Aeries is a hair too slow. The shock wave sends her a good fifteen feet. She crashes down hard, hitting her injured wrist. She lets out a hiss of pain. The pain and her breath being knocked out of her, freezes her for a moment. But in that moment, she forgets the number one rule of the takens, it doesn't matter if you can or cannot, only that you have to do it. In this case, get to the safety.

In that moment, a trapper gets within point blank range. Collin sees it, but his blaster is gone. Collin moves, just as the trapper fires his dart gun. He does what he has to. Collin shields Aeries from the dart. The dart hits him in the back.

Collin crumples down. "Collin!" Talia screams, break one of the most important rules of being a taken, never loose focus. Focus lost, even momentary, can cost you everything. Especially in the heat of a firefight. And loose focus, she did.

* * *

**I am mean. I am very mean. Thank you time ****J**

**Thank you, alorad'ika for following. Is that a Hawaiian name? Thank you, SWFangirl, Paint the Wolf, Midnight Luna, Delta General 42 and Ichichi05 for reviewing.**

**I got to say I wasn't anticipating Talia being so popular. But she is very cool. So, I can see why. My favorite OC… it's a three-way tie between Sonya, Talia and D. Sonya because of all the rewriting I had to do to flesh out her character. She is both one of the easiest and hardest characters to write. Talia just came into being from wondering about Ezra's past. The reason she is so much like Ezra is because they follow very similar paths and have both been hurt by the world. I like to think that Talia's perhaps a little more rough. D surprisingly worked her way into my heart after about a paragraph of writing her. Fun Fact: D only came into existence after see the pilot in red in the season 2 concept art.**

**What did I think of Sonya's statement? Hm… While Sonya has never lied to Ezra, she certainly isn't above lying, especially when it helps her. But, she also knows the truth has far more power to unhinge someone. So…. Oh look, Question Time!**

**Question Time: How do you think D escaped the inquisitor training facility?**


	17. Chapter 16: No End, No Beginning

**RUHLSAR000 Here! This is perhaps my biggest rewrite of a chapter. This was originally at the end of last chapter. But then I got an idea that works better with future chapters and had to change a lot. By the end this was long enough and had a good enough cliffhanger that it became another chapter. Talia, whenever you are around, stories get longer. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! ALL HAIL THE MOUSE!**** I apologize for error, delays, and long winded author's notes.**

* * *

Talia pales as she sees Collin go down. In a moment of distraction she fails to notice Orles come up behind he and grab her lekku. Her bow falls to the ground, as she is dragged away from the conflict. Handcuffs are applied swiftly. Ezra and Orin race after her.

The booms and blasters echo from the other side of the compound, but they are the only sign of anything out of the ordinary in this deserted section of the base. Orles puts a dart gun to her head. "Freeze!"

Both Ezra and Orin do as they are told, glares echoing on each other's face. They know the dangers of a dart to the head. "Isn't this wonderful capture one and the others come oh so willingly. How interesting to see you alive... Ezra is it? It's been what four years hasn't it? Since you were left behind?" Talia flashes her had five, one, knock, five, one. Both Orin and Ezra move there hand to the side, no. "Don't even think a sixty-six will work." Eyes dart to the other, each looking for some idea. "I'm sure the inquisitors will be quite thrilled to have a new one in their ranks."

Ezra's eyes went wide and his body shivers. "Oh, you think we didn't knew? Sorry to burst your bubble." Orles chuckles.

"Get out of here!" Talia shouts.

Orles pulls her right lekku harder, hard. Talia bites back a scream. "Quiet!"

Talia won't be, "Orin, he's to important to be captured! You know that! Get him out of here!" Orin curses under his breath, she abandoned codenames in front of a trapper. That is a marker of how serious the situation is.

"Not going to happen, Talia! I am not leaving you!"" Ezra shouts. And Talia knows he won't. Ezra is too good for that. Just as he is, in her own opinion, too good for the streets.

"Collin was hit with a dart! They both need to get out, NOW!" Talia orders, biting back her own fear. "Orin!"

"We aren-" Ezra feels a sharp blow to the head before falling into unconsciousness.

Orin catches him. He looks at Talia. "Stay alive! You just stay alive!" His voice breaks, as he halls Ezra over his shoulder and runs back to the main group. Orin flings Ezra, not so gently into the Gale II. "Everyone get who doesn't want to be left behind get on NOW!" Orin shouts, though his breathes are stunted, like he is fighting back sobs. He is. He never wanted to say anything close to the term 'Left Behind' again. He never wanted to leave anyone behind again. Life doesn't work like that. He knows that better than most.

D and Sabine have grabbed Collin and load everyone on quickly. Everyone gets on, fast. Willy starts up the transport and they blast out of the base.

* * *

Talia is dragged to the edge of the Pin, with four level five trappers surround her. No doubt for their bragging. Even given the direness of her situation, she couldn't help feel a sense of pride that, they feel she is an opponent of this caliber. Olres glares at the transport racing further into the distance. "Blow it up."

"What?!" Talia head snaps to him.

"Those rebels will not escape." Olres says. A trapper pulls out a rocket launcher. He aims. Panic fills Talia. They can't! He goes to pull the trigger. They won't! "No!" Talia shouts. A force push radiates from her, sending he guards to the ground and knocking the bomb off course enough to miss the transport. Talia falls to the ground, gasping for air, partly from exhaustion, partly from shock. Did she...

Olres gets up, looking a bit disheveled with dirt and sticks in his hair. He grabs her chin and lifts her by it, smirking, "Well, well, it seems we have a taken to give to the inquisitors after all." He throws her to the ground. "Get her in a ship. She is being sent now!" Talia's eyes widen. They never send singles. But what about the inquisitors... Fear creeps over her as she is injected with something and darkness starts covering her like a blanket.

The Pin begins collapse in on itself. Every trapper starts panicking. Despite her situation and rapidly fading consciousness, Talia smiles. The mission had been a success. They got information on the location and supplies being sent to the Death Star. They freed the takens. The timed explosive they set have blown up the trapper base. That would take months for the trapper to recover and start trapping again. Whatever awaits her, her family is safer. Whatever awaits her, she protected her brother. That's all that matters.

"Take her away!" Commander Orles shouts. Talia can't even hear him anymore.

* * *

Everything is absolutely quite to Collin. He isn't quite sure how fast or how slow everything is moving. In fact, the strange sensation of both rushes around him. The one thing he knows is it feels like his heart is running a marathon. One word pierces the haze, "Huttslime!" Surprisingly, it doesn't come from the resident swearer, Talia. Collin is confused.

Orin doesn't even stop to tell the others or to let loose another swear word. The only thing that matters is that his tribesman has a paralysis dart dangerously close to his heart. Orin slams a detox into the same area as the dart. After a moment, he leans down and checks his heart beat. It's still sounds like it's fighting a weight. Not good, it should have had some effect nearly immediately and if it was a stronger or, heaven forbid, a bad batch they didn't have time to wait and see. "Alex, detox." Alex hands him the two tubes he has. The Gale II shakes slightly as the Ghost picks it up.

Orin pays no mind. He rams both tubes into the left side of Collin's chest. He waits half a minute and checks his heart beat. Then another half a minute, checks again. Not a sound is said during any of this. Orin for once lets fear color his face, "His heart beat is getting worse."

Every single taken pales. If it is getting worse after detox is applied then the likelihood of it being a bad batch of the paralysis toxin greatly increase. Even if Collin stays alive long enough for the detox to actually be applied in a big enough dose and it is able to counteract the dart's toxin, and that is a big if for a bad batch, serious damage will be left. They didn't need to look far for an example. Cely lost the use of her legs to a bad batch that hit her foot. Collin took one to his chest.

Orin breathes softly barely lifting his head from Collin's chest. After about ten minutes, he swears loudly and starting to preform compression, a determined look in his eye. "All I need... to do... is keep him... alive and... his blood flowing... long enough... for it to kick in..." He grunts. Kanan coms Hera, telling her to hurry up. But, that is all he can do. Everyone looks over the scene at a lose what to do. What can they do?

After another fifteen, Hera lands the Gale II and Ghost. Alex barely lets the Gale II touch the ground before rushing find more detox. Not even a minute later, he runs back in and pumps three more vial into the kid's chest. But, his heart doesn't start.

After fifteen minutes, Cely haubles in and looks at Alex, mirroring each other's hopeless face. Cely nods. Alex leaves the Gale II. Barely two steps out Alex's knees give out. He hits the ground as tears mix into the dirt. He slams his fist into the ground, again and again.

Cely puts her hand on to Orin shoulder. He doesn't even pause. "Enough," She whispers. Orin ignores her. Cely shoots everyone a look. They all file out quickly, Kanan carrying the unconscious Ezra out. "Teyi." Cely calls Orin by his last name, a right normally reserved among the closest of takens as it brings up what is lost. "Teyi. Enough. He's gone."

"No, he's not. I can still save him. He's my responsibility, my family. We've already had one death in the tribe this year. One captured by trappers. I am not having another. He will survive." Orin growls, not stopping.

"And if he does?" Cely asks. Orin doesn't answer, instead biting his lip hard. The compressions continue. "You've been doing this for more twenty minutes. You know his brain is probably dead by now. He'll be a vegetable. And even if he some how recovers from that, he will not survive the damage the toxin has done to his heart." Orin doesn't stop, but tears threaten to fall. "Let him be at peace." Cely pulls him into a hug. He doesn't fight it. "He's not hungry anymore." Orin nods into Cely's chest. "He's not hunted anymore." Orin nods. "He's not living in fear anymore." Orin nods but pulls away.

"Talia sacrificed herself to get him to help. Him and Ezra" Cely's eyes widen as she quickly looks around as if willing Talia to appear. Orin stands up tall and a determined look crosses his face. It's not about what you can do, but what you have to do.

He walks out of the Gale II. Aggy and her boyfriend have vanished, no doubt either going to find their tribes or strike out on their own.

The Ghost crew is examining their youngest member, trying to figure out what happened to him.

Ezra, with a groan, starts to wake up. He suddenly shoots up, startling the Ghost crew. "Talia!"

"Well, you don't seem to have a concussion. That's good." Orin sighs. Well, at least some of this conversation didn't need to happen. Instead, they can start yelling at each other immediately.

"How... How could you do that?!" Ezra shouts, standing up. He winces, as he tests the bump on the back of his head.

"I didn't have a choice." Orin says.

"That's a load of-" Hera jaw drops at Ezra knowing that word, let alone saying it in front of five kids. But none of the kids bat an eye. "And you know it. That was just like last time!" Ezra yells, not caring that that was below the belt.

Orin visibly flinches, but holds his ground. "You know that's not true, _Kamino_. We weren't leaders then. We didn't have a kid with a dart in chest."

"We could have gotten her back!" Ezra yells.

"At what cost?" Orin says. "Talia and I are leaders of the Wind Tribe, Ebby. We know what that means. We protect our own, whether members of the tribe or not."

It's Ezra's turn to flinch. "I don't need protection." He growls under his breath. He shoves the thought off. "What happens if they find out she's Force-sensitive?!" D, Ahsoka and the Ghost crew's heads snap to Ezra, unable to believe what they heard.

"It would be no different than what would have happened if they capture you. The only difference is that they _KNOW_ you are one." Orin shouts. Ezra looks away. He bloody knows that.

"Talia will do what she has always done. Survive." Orin says. Ezra knows. But apart of him is still angry... at himself.

He now left her, like she left him all those years ago.

He failed another sister.

Orin clears his throat, "You know her emotions better than anyone, even me. Did you feel any regret from her?" There is no resentment in his voice, just acceptance.

Ezra sighs, "No..."

"See? Talia focus was on getting us and everyone else out. She... You know she's always blamed herself for what happened between us..."

"So you think she did that to make up for that." Ezra says, frustrated.

"Maybe not consciously. But, I'd be lying if I said it didn't change her... change us... It turned her, us, into a protectors." Orin sighs, and for the first time Ezra is able to see how broken his friend is. "You think I liked leave her, my closest friend and partner?" Orin says. "I don't even know if she survived the blast..." Orin tries to breath deeply, but can only manage something shallow. He swallows it down. "And I didn't just lose her today..."

"What..." Ezra says, afraid to ask.

"Collin... didn't survive the dart... It was a bad batch..." Orin wipes his eyes. Orin is surprised when someone wraps his arms around him. He is even more surprised by whose arm wrap around him.

"I'm sorry..." Ezra says. Then, he quickly releases Orin. But he does break eye contact. "She's still alive."

"You think that?" Orin smiles, weakly.

"I know that." Ezra does their hand sign for the Wind.

"They've probably moved her off world then." Orin says, sitting down on a rock.

"What are you going to do now?" Ezra sits down next to him.

"I have a few ideas. Collin's particularly stands out. But no matter what I... I think we need to get the Wind Tribe of Lothal." A gasp radiates from the Tribe.

"W...What?" Alex asks. "No... This is our home. It's where we've always lived. It's where our most of parents were taken. It's where my brother died."

"The mission wasn't as stealthy as we hoped. They know there is a connection between the Tribe and the Rebellion. They'll be after us now. And not just the trappers, but the officers, the regulars, and, if they find out about the special abilities of four of our members, the inquisitors. I can't make any of you do something you don't want to do, but I am taking who ever wishes off world for their safety. Who is coming?"

"This is crazy." Alex protests. "What if Talia escapes?"

"Then Lothal is the last place she'd come." Orin says, and then sighs. "They think she killed Commander Eye Patch." The tribe's and Ezra's face darken. "Of course, she wouldn't kick that hornets nest. But, that doesn't matter. Who is coming?"

Aeires, Caleb and Rodi's hands shoot up, along with Yue, Mzia and Cely. Cely has close to these people since she met that fateful dart. The other have traveled in the Orin same tribe since they became takens. They'd stay together.

Parts bumps into Ezra leg unsure what to do. Ezra kneels down to the droid he made when he was nine. The one he asked to look after the Tribe when he secretly checked on the dependents of the Fire Tribe a few months after the incident. He whispers, "Do what you think is best." Parts beeps before zooming over to the Little Ehn.

Zhu and Cloie hands slowly rise, they couldn't survive without their family. Sophia sighs, smiling, raising her hand. After a moment, Alex raises his hand, "I'm not losing another family."

"So, how are we getting off world?" Alex asks.

Surprisingly, it is Sophia who answers, "We need to steal a ship. Preferably, imperial. From there, I can pilot us out of here."

Orin raise an eyebrow, "You can pilot a ship?"

"The best at the Academy. I could out fly anyone in the pilot division," Sophia says, pride lacing her voice. Then her expression sours, "Before the Empire arrested my parents and destroyed my life."

If Orin had hair, the marks on his eyebrows would have vanished into it. "You were a Psych major!"

"And?" Sophia asks. "So, what was Collin's idea?"

"Hm?" Orin says.

"You mentioned Collin's idea was appealing." Sophia says.

"Collin was planning on asking to join the Rebellion." Orin says. Everyone is silent, but each of the Tribe's members gradually begins to smirk.

"Can we?" Aeries asks.

"It's highly dangerous." Ahsoka says, warning them. "And if you join you can't turn back."

"Does it look safe here?" Alex asks.

"Are you all sure?" Ahsoka asks.

Orin looks around, everyone is nodding, "Yes."

"Then I'll need to check with higher ups." Ahsoka says. "But, we always need more members."

Orin nods. Then he sighs, "We have a funeral to prepare..." The takens begin to scatter to gather materials.

Alex grabs Ezra and pulls him aside. "What's wrong?" Ezra asks. "Besides everything, I mean."

"Watch out for Sabine." Alex says.

"What?" Ezra asks, confused.

"I think she's a shot taken." Alex says. Ezra raises an eyebrow, clearly in doubt but knowing Alex wouldn't make something like this up. Not with... "She has the same look in her eye as my brother." Ezra nods, knowing how painful it is to talk about a sibling. "Just look out for her. I don't want anyone else to end up like Drunk Tom or Cala or my brother." Alex looks just about ready to loose it. He is shaking and having trouble breathing.

"I will." Ezra reassures.

Alex sighs, "Well, she's holding up better than most."

* * *

Ahsoka and both rebel cells stay for the funeral, for which the tribe is grateful. It doesn't start until the last rays of sunlight have fallen beneath the horizon. Shortly before it starts Ezra pulls them aside and tells them that Taken funeral are very loud and not to be surprised and they don't have to participate if they don't want to or were too stunned to. Collin's body had been put on a pile of grasses and what wood could be found, surrounded by a small wall of rocks. All plant material had been cleared from around the area. Orin holds a propane torch.

"Tonight, we mourn the loss of a fallen comrade. And with that, one of this world's mysteries is about to be solved as we are not alone tonight." Orin smiles, sadly looking at the rebels. "Some old fart of a poet said that at every end there lies a new beginning. And he was dead wrong.

"There are no beginnings, no ends, only changes in set, script and cast. Collin's time on the cast was short. But, he never doubted it's worth. He loved, he laughed, he lived. And the best way we can honor him is by continuing to love, laugh, and live. He is still with us in the Wind that brushes our cheeks and in the memories we share." Orin takes a breath before continuing.

"The Empire tries to erase our existence. We are a secret they wish to forget. But we will not be forgotten in silence. Put all your pain over this loss into your scream, because we can do no more than that to mourn for time ticks foreword and so must we. Tonight, we remind them we are here." Orin lean forward and light the grass on fire. The entire tribe and Ezra let out an ear-piecing scream. Ezra pulls out on the howl relatively quickly, but it lasts until most of the tribe has gone hoarse. When the flames die down and all that is left is ash, Aeries and Orin dig a small hole to the soil and plant a young lavanda bush. They step away leaving the new plant surrounded by ash and an oval of stones. Zeb's eyes widen, it is a Howling Ash Bush. Zeb sighs. He likes the legend better than the truth.

Orin steps back and looks down. The kids yawn, exhausted. Cely shuffles them off to the camp sight. Aeries gives one last look to Orin, before scurrying off to bed. Ahsoka puts a had on Orin's shoulder. Orin tenses and then turns to her. Ahsoka begins to speak, to say what she's been trying to figure out how to say, "I'm-"

Orin cuts her off, "If you're going to apologize for getting us involved, save it. Talia didn't regret it. Collin didn't regret it. There is a rule among the taken, no one can force another taken to do something. It makes things difficult for being a leader of tribes, but you can see why that rule exists. It was our choice to get involved. We own up to the consequences. And honestly, for me, it felt good to do something besides hide for one." Orin brushes her hand off, and smiles sadly. Orin walks a little distance away. He lies down, looking at the sky. Alone, he cries.

D spies Ezra a little ways from everyone, sitting on a large rock. D goes over and sits down next to him, looking out at the horizon. Being so far from any light sources, every star is visible. Their galaxy slices the in a truly astonishing colored display. D, for the life of her, couldn't recall see anything like this before, not even a hint. She feels so small in comparison, and can't help recall the entire mission.

D takes a deep breath in and out, understanding what a gift that is for the first time.

* * *

**Who likes me right now? When I asked about who your favorite OC was and saw it was Talia hands down, I swore to myself cause this chapter was 75% done. Keep your angry comments over Talia being captured and Collin- You know what, don't. If you get angry over bad things happening to the character, I want to hear it. Cause that means you care about the character.**

**In other news apparently, according to Wookiepedia, hornets exist in the Star Wars Universe. Who knew?**

**Thank you time!**

**Thank you Paint the Wolf, Midnight Luna and Ichichi05 for reviewing.**

**No, D did not blow up the place up. I actually hinted to it in a pervious chapter. Can you find it?**

**Question Time: What is your number 1 pet peeve when it comes to fan fiction?**


	18. Chapter 17: Shot

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Life is life. That is truer that true. And I am annoying! How are all you doing this week? Paint the Wolf, you didn't review this week. Are you mad at me for killing of a character? Or did were you trying to find the hint to how D escaped? If it is option 1, I kinda of had to do that. The lives of rebels and of takens, are dangerous and I think everyone, story character and reader alike, needed a reminder of that. If it is the second option, well I guess I can give you a hint. It's in a chapter where D is not a major character. Any who. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! IF I DID WE WOULD KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO EZRA'S PARENTS BY NOW! HAIL THE MOUSE!**** I apologize for delays, errors and long-winded author's note, i.e. Today!**

* * *

"These trappers are pack rats." D says, glancing over the now decrypted section of data. Ezra and Orin are on hand to help figure out some of the more subtle stuff. She points to the files, "'Shipments' involving Lothal logged back to the beginning of the Empire. I'm going to be sick. And files of what are these?"

Ezra glances over her shoulder, "Taken files. The only place you will see a taken registered in the Empire's data. Basically, keeps track of who and how many are on planet."

D flips through the ones they have. The number of deceased disturbed her greatly. But she does notice something. Under the ID number, as only about three she's seen so far have last name attached, was a series of one, maybe two, letters. "What are these letter?"

Ezra shrugs, "We think they are the reasons out parents were taken. They use them to identify patterns on planets. At least, we think."

"The the first letter always matches the crime the parents did." Orin says.

D looks at one of a girl who couldn't be more than 4, "SR?"

"Smuggling to those not friendly with the Empire and refusing to aid in the capture of fugitives." Orin looks over D shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, look it's Vivi."

D scrolls to the next one as Orin steps back. "L?"

"Refusing to give up land. Perhaps the most common one on Lothal." Ezra says. D nods scrolling through them. A good portion is encrypted to the point that even the ID numbers are unusable. But just the effect of this was horrifying. D stops on one, seeing the picture and raises an eyebrow. It was certainly a longer one. "JCSO?"

Ezra groans. Orin lets out as much of a laugh as he can, though it sound very weary. "So, you found Ezra's?" Orin smirks. "We don't know exactly since how we know most of these is through cross checking them with others and Ezra is the only one with that designation but-"

"The SO is speaking out against the Empire." Ezra interrupts glaring at Orin. "And that is all we know."

"Talia has a theor-" Orin winces as Ezra steps on his foot. "That Ezra thinks is crazy talk."

Hera pops in, "How is it going?" The door closes behind her. "Anything I can report to the higher up yet?"

"We have the basic specks of how strong the Death Star is and where its material is coming from so that is enough to start, but it could take months to decrypt most of it." D says, pulling out a data stick and tossing it to Hera. She turns back to the screen. "Hard to believe there are this many kids on Lothal without family." D pauses on a picture of Talia. It's a head shoot, with her helmet, the straps covering one of her lekku and the metal covering the other. D can't help but wonder why she wears it, though she was more concern about how skinny they were. That can't be healthy for a twi'elk. Another thing she notes is about Talia's file is it is tagged with a last name; Syndulla. Where has D heard that name?

"And that's not even all of them, if they were... in their teens when the Empire came to power, then they aren't always erased from the system even if their siblings were. To difficult to hide that they existed, especially if there were filed out side the Empire's control. Now, that's pretty much no existent but ten years ago there were a couple of cases." Orin says with disgust. Hera eye grow huge, as if coming to a realization.

"If by any chance... Is there a twi'elk purple with a pattern on her lekkus that looks like a five petaled flower?"

D shakes her head, "The only twi'elk in their system was Talia." For some reason, D senses tension come off Ezra and Orin.

"Why?" Ezra asks.

"She's... my sister," Hera sighs. "The Empire stole her away when she was two..." D winces. The Empire keeps striking where it hurts. D glances to Ezra. He looks absolutely calm, and his mental shields are up. He is incredibly strong with those and D has minimal training, so she can't get anything of him. But, before he pulled them up, she sensed utter devastation rolling off him. She senses it roll off Orin too, but again he looks completely calm.

"Sorry, Hera, but the only twi'elk taken on Lothal was Talia..." Ezra says, clearly pained. "Maybe she's got away from the trappers as she got older and survived. I know a taken in a similar situation and she survived."

"Right..." Hera looks down, clearly downcast. "We have a mission. We leave in thirty. Find Sabine, will you?" Ezra nods. Hera leaves.

Orin and Ezra share a look that D can't read. D sighs, these two had at least five different ways of speaking to each other. Useful on mission, annoying everywhere else.

Ezra sighs, "I know. I guess I have a mission." Ezra gets up and walks to the door. But before he leaves, Orin grabs him and pulls him close, sensing Ezra's need to get riled up or something to get his mind off what just happened. Orin whispers in to his ear, "J Jedi, C Clonetrooper."

"Do I even want to know?" D raises an eyebrow.

"No." Orin sighs, a pained look crosses his face as he looks over her shoulder. D glances back. Talia.

Talia hugs her legs. She didn't even remember the last time she was on a trapper's ship. She couldn't have been much older than two. She breathes. Come on, Girl. No ones coming for you. You are on your own. Talia sighs, knowing that, even if she gets out, that's all she'll ever be now. It was too dangerous for her to return to the Wind Tribe. Talia sigh, "Alright, Wind. Or Force. Or what ever you prefer. I'm all ears. How can I get out?" She feels something glow against her face, the Force. It is comforting but she can't understand what it wants.

* * *

The door slides open a woman in a brown jacket like cloak that cover her face enters. Talia jumps up, "Who are you?" She is on guard, but the Force relaxes around her. Talia sigh, alright she'll trust the Wind.

The woman say in a calm voice that sounds as calm as the waves on a gentle day, "Do you think now is a good time to discuss this?"

"No," Talia says walking to the door. The woman leads them through the ship.

"Freeze!" Talia tenses at the trapper.

The woman is utterly calm; she waves her hand, "You will let us pass."

"I will... let you...pass" The trapper responds. By backing away, leaving Talia gob smacked. Then Talia spies the two medal cylinders at her waist. Talia suck in a breath.

They get to the woman's ship. Talia straps herself in to next to the woman. "So, where's home? I'll help you and your family get into hiding." The woman plugs data into the computers.

"I have no where." Talia says.

The woman's head snaps to her.

"I have a tribe but I can't return." Talia sighs. "I have no where to go."

"I'll help you go into hiding."

"Train me." Talia says. "Train me in the ways of the Force. You're a Jedi aren't you?"

"That is not a good idea."

"The Force told me to trust you, to sit and wait for you. Why would it do that if you weren't supposed to train me? Tell me you didn't sense it to." The woman was silent as they enter hyperspace. "My family was stolen by the Empire. My tribe was stolen by the Empire. The Empire made living near impossible for the Tribe."

"Being a Jedi isn't about revenge." The woman breathes.

"I don't want revenge." Talia snaps. "Revenge... I did something awful to a friend once, and he did something awful in revenge. It only left us bitter and broken. That's all revenge is. I want to make it so no one goes through what I've been through."

"It a dangerous path. Unlike anything you have seen. I have fifteen inquisitors on my tail." The woman says.

"I won't say I am prepared for Jedi hunters but I know what its like to be hunted. I've been hunted all my life." Talia says. "What does the Force want you to do?"

"You'll never be able to go back to your tribe." She turns to face her

"I could never go back anyway. Please, Ma'am, This is my only chance to be more than a street kid." Talia says. "To be worth something."

"Everyone's worth something." The woman takes her hand.

"And that's why I want to be a Jedi." Talia says.

"I'll think about it. There's a spare room at the end of the hall, get some sleep." the woman shifts back into the pilot seat.

* * *

Ezra found Sabine sitting alone on the mountain. Actually, it was the same place he had his tantrum with D a... had it really only been a month? He starts to walk up to her, but freezes as he hears her.

"Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum, dalyic Buir, jagyc Buir..." Sabine says, a broken sigh escaping her lips. Ezra gulps back a painful knot in his throat. He spies a twig and purposefully steps on it, creating a loud snap.

Sabine jumps up, "Ezra! …How much of that did you hear?"

"How ever much you want me to have." Ezra answers, he won't push on what he knows is a touchy subject.

Sabine nods, biting her lips, "So, why were Talia and Orin yelling at you in Mando'a?" It hadn't left her mind since their last mission.

Ezra looks surprised, "Tion meg Mando'a?" _That was Mando'a?_ Then with a shrug, he adds, "Ni liser jorhaa'i Mando'a." _I can speak Mando'a._

Sabine's jaw drops, after a few seconds,"Vaii Gar ru'hibira?" _Where did you learn?_

Ezra shrugs, still surprised he has known Mando'a since he was two, "Ner Jagyc buir." _My dad._

Sabine under most other circumstances would have drop anything relating to his parent, knowing how painful it can be, but this is different. "Vaii gar jagyc buir ru'hibira?" _Where did your dad learn?_

Ezra sighs. She really thought he would know? He hadn't even known he'd been speaking Mando'a! "Ni nu'narir kar'tayli. Mhi verbori aka." _I don't know. We have a mission._

* * *

_"Daddy!" A three-year-old Sabine smiles, running up to the older man._

_ "Ad'ika!" The man kneels down and scoops her up, swinging her around. A woman that looks very much like Sabine comes out of the only house for miles, dressed in Mandolorian armor. The man smiles at her, "Cyar'ika."_

_ "Aren't you the sweet talker." She smiles, hugging him. "Welcome home, Dear. How are things out there?"_

_ "Things are going to H- bad since the Duchess's death. I may not have agreed with her policies but staying out of this war was the best thing we could have done. Doesn't look like that's happening now." He looks down at his daughter. "Were you a good girl?"_

_ "She was a right terror, like her father," The woman says._

_ The man gives a hearty laugh, "So, how is your basic coming, Ad'ika?"_

_ "Annoying." Sabine huffs._

_ "Well, it's important to learn." The man smiles._

_ "Why?" Sabine whines._

_ "Because you can learn a lot by listening but only if you can understand what's said." He smiles. "Now, how about I tell you about my run in with clonetroopers and even a real Jedi and padawan." _

_ Sabines eyes widen, "Ooooh..."_

* * *

Sabine never loses focus. Not during her painting. Not during making her miracles. And certainly not on an op. But for the life of her, she can't control her thoughts today. They keep wandering to the one place she would never let them, her parents. Even after two years, it still hurts. It probably always will. She sits in her room. She should be prepping for the op, but she doesn't trust her hands right now. A knock comes from the door. Sabine groans, "Come in." The door slides open. Ezra pops his head into the room. "Shouldn't you be prepping for the op?"

"Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing." Ezra says.

Sabine scoots away from her work bench, "How do you know I'm not?"

"I would hope you're not." Ezra chuckles slightly, "I was trying to meditate before the op. But, I'm not that good yet. And you're emotions are very distracting."

"You're eavesdropping on me?" Sabine glares, even if that wasn't the right word. It is the closest word she can think of.

Ezra shrugs, "Not when you are making them a beacon in the Force. It's like trying to ignore someone screaming out there is free food. Impossible to ignore."

Despite her mood, Sabine smirks, "You and food."

"Food, water and shelter." Ezra smirks, not taking any offense. That's just how things are for him. "When you're poorer than the dirt around you, you tend to focus on those things."

Sabine tries to shift away from that subject, "Sorry for distracting you from meditation."

"Nah, I probably wouldn't have been able too anyway, too distracted on finding out my dad knew Mando'a." Ezra leans against the wall. "You're guess is as good as mine on where he learned it..."

"What was he like?" Sabine asks, before she can stop herself, "Sorry. You don't have to answer-"

"He was kind." Ezra says, closing his eyes, "He would never turn his back on those who needed him. He always had something to say, a playful comment or a snarky remark. And no matter what, family came first. It never mattered to him that Sunny wasn't his daughter by blood. She was his daughter. So it never mattered to me… or her. In all honesty, it still doesn't. We were his twin suns.

"Only when we were six did some snot nose kid actually said we weren't sibling because we weren't blood, did I realize that others didn't think like our family. Still, doesn't make sense to me." Ezra doesn't even realize he slipped into talking about Sunny. Something Sabine hasn't heard him talk about, since that day in Ward 4. "Dad told us that night, 'Aliit ori'shya tal'din'."

"Family is more than blood." Sabine smiles. "My dad had a friend. He would have done anything for him, just as his friend would have done anything for my dad. I could see it in the way they interacted."

Ezra smiles gently, "My dad had more brothers than I could ever keep track of, not that I ever met any. They had the weirdest names, too. He loved them all. I don't think all of them were by blood or adoption. I don't think he liked clones troopers all that much, though it seemed more regret than anything else. He kept a clonetrooper helmet in his bedroom on a shelf. He always looked at it with such sadness..." Ezra let his voice trails off. "I'd better go and... meditate. Yeah... If you need an ear, I am here."

"That is an awful rhyme." Sabine smiles. Ezra shrugs, pretending to know what a rhyme is.

Ezra gets up and walks away.

* * *

Sonya sighs, as she looks at the Jar. She really shouldn't but sometimes it is so hard to stop herself. It broke her four years ago. It shouldn't have, but it did. Everything lost focus and that's when they double their efforts to break her. That's when she stopped caring about what happened to her. She picked up the Jar and hugged it tightly to her chest. The cold glass sends a chill down her that the dark side can no longer send. She is numb to it.

A knock comes from the door. Sonya sets the jar down. She opens the door. A stormtrooper is there. "Ma'am, we are about to arrive at the rendezvous point." She sighs, wishing it could have been Chance. Worse, they have arrived. In spite of herself, Sonya feels the corner of her mouth lower half a millimeter.

"Return about your business." Sonya says, walking out. The trooper freezes in place. Sonya follows his gaze into her room. To the Jar. She closes the door. "Never look into my room." Her voice is icy, her glare colder.

"Yes... Ma'am." The trooper seems scared. Great, the rumor mill is going to have a field day. At least, she'll be feared more now. But, Chance... Would he fear her too? She couldn't handle that... But what choice did she have?

* * *

Sabine sighs, shouting at herself to focus. "Sabine." Sabine jumps in surprise. She looks up and see Kanan looking at her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sabine says.

"You seem..." Kanan tries to find the right word.

Ezra says as he walks by, "Distracted? Dazed? Lost to the world?"

"Shouldn't you be meditating or something?" Sabine huffs.

"Not this close to the start of the mission." He smirks, jumping down into to the cargo hold.

Kanan just stares after him, then shakes his head, "If any of the masters at the temple met Ezra they'd have a heart attack."

"Because he so reckless and not Jedi-like," Sabine smirks.

"No, because it was impossible to get a teenager to meditate without prompting." Kanan says. Sabine laughs a bit. Kanan tilts his head; he hadn't meant that to be funny. Then, he shrugs. At least, she's not completely distracted anymore.

Hera's voice comes over the internal coms, "We're almost there. Everyone to position." Kanan and Sabine nod to each other before rushing to the _Phantom_. A few minutes later, the _Ghost_ ramp opened. "Specter 4 and 6 are out. Specter 1, ready?"

Kanan detaches the _Phantom _from the _Ghost._ In spite of her best attempts, her mind goes to that day.

* * *

_ "You WHAT?" Sabine's father yells._

_ "I applied to the Academy, and got in," a thirteen year old Sabine says, "It's a good school. Strong military background. Strong language program. It'll open up so many opportunities."_

_ "All of them for the Empire!" Her father roars._

_ "Ad'ika, please, any fight means nothing if you lose track of why your fighting. Then, it's only bloodshed for bloodsheds sake." Her mother squeezes Sabine's hand. "The Empire has lost its way."_

_ "Then maybe I can change that!" Sabine yells._

_ "The Empire doesn't want to change. It not a good thing, Sabine." Her father says._

_ "It will never be with that that mindset! This is an amazing opportunity for me. Why can't you see that!" Sabine shouts._

_ "Your painting... You'll have to give it up..." Sabine's mother says._

_ "I don't care!" Sabine says, not seeing her father flinch. He loves her paintings._

_ "No daughter of mine is going to some imperial school." He shouts._

_ It's Sabine's turn to flinch, "I guess, you don't see me as your daughter anymore." She turns and storms out. She slams the front door open, barely missing beaming the man walking up to it. With an utterly stunned expression, the older tan man with wavy black graying hair stares after her._

_ "Sabine, Wait!" Her father rushes out after her. But, she__'s already disappeared. He sighs, then sees the man. "Snark? Is that you?" The man nods. Sabine's father hugs the man, "Come in. How have you been since the war?"_

_ Hours pass as the moon rises into the sky. Sabine sits in a low tree, stewing. The man from earlier comes up and leans on the tree branch. After a moment of silence, the man says, "So, you don't remember me, do you?"_

_ "Should I?" Sabine glares at him._

_ "No, last time I saw you, you were barely two. Towards the end of the Clone Wars." He smiles at her. "I am an old friend of your father." Sabine stays silent. The man sighs, "You know, in my experience, people tend to say stupid things when they hurt. Everyone does it. But what stupider is not mending bridges afterwards. People need to be bridgers when a gap starts or the gap will only get bigger." He smirks as if he made an inside pun._

_ Sabine sighs, "So, mysterious friend, what's your name?"_

_ "It's E... It's better if you don't know. I am planning on doing something pretty stupid soon to get my daughter back. I don't want you dragged into it." He smiles._

* * *

"I swear! I'm not making this up!" Mich Rong, a brown haired stormtrooper says, his helmet in one hand and tray of warm mush in the other.

"The Ice Queen is many things. Most of them are acronyms for evil incarnate, but the rumor mill has finally let it hit the fan. Give me a break." Connor Torance, another stormtrooper with short bleach dye hair says back as they arrive at their normal table.

"What is the rumor mill saying now?" Chance asks, not bothering to stop examining the yellow mush he really hoped was food coloring... Then again maybe not... First day out of the medical wing and he is already missing the food, and not being back on paper work duty. Chance was sure paper work was secretly a torture devise.

"There is a jar with a severed head in it _IN_ the Ice Queen's room." Rong says.

Oh, well that was a new one. "Really? Where's this one come from? Setting up next years hazing a little soon aren't we, Rong?" Chance rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, Rong," Torance says, in a teasing way.

"Shove it, Torance." Rong shoves Torences. Chance pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Girls. Girls. You're both pretty." A singsong voice cuts in. Maria Taka sits down. She looks at Chance. "What is it now, Sorayu?"

Chance shrugs, "From what I gather some new utterly ridiculous rumor about Inquisitor Yon." Why did he hang out with these guys during meals again? Oh, right. They are the least annoying in his meal slot. Chance suddenly feels the need to scream for help.

"Oh, Me want hear." Taka says in a voice that is imitating a child. Chance rolls his eyes, not all that comfortable talking behind his friend's back.

"She has a severed head in her room." Rong says.

Chance laughs. It's even sillier the second time. "Really? We all have skeleton's in our closets, but I doubt hers are literal."

"Pence swears he saw it, when he went to tell her we arrived." Rong says.

"Why are you all so scared of her?" Chance asks. "You'll believe ever little horrible rumor about her."

"Because they're mostly true!" Rong says.

"Inquisitior Yon-" Taka starts.

"I doubt that highly! She's the most powerful person on the ship for the next few hours and will continue to be one of the most powerful people on the ship after. And that's why you're afraid of her." Chance interrupts.

Taka tries again, "Inquisitor Yon is-"

"Oh, I see how it is. You think she's cute." Rong accuses.

"What- If that were true- Which it isn't!- It has nothing to do with the present issue of you bad mouthing her with no evidence!" Chance says. Taka rubs her forehead. Torence eyes her. She points to her left. He looks that way, and Taka can see him start swearing in his head.

"Ah, guys-" Torence starts.

"Evidence! You haven't been here long enough to know what she has done. Me. I've seen what she's done since she's bloody arrive on board. Do you know how many officers she sent to the medical wing with that freaky power of hers! How many threats she has given for literally nothing! We're scared of her for a reason-"

Taka stands, "Inquisitor Yon, how may we be of service to you?" Rong follows quickly.

Rong and Chance bounce up. Rong is utterly tongue-tied. Chance just looks down. Sonya is confused as to why she senses guilt off him.

"Trooper... 98113-G985, is it?" Sonya asks. Rong nods at his designation number. "My choice-or lack there of- in my room decors is none of your business." Sonya walks away. Looking at her tray of mush, she suddenly isn't hungry. She plops it in the trash before walking to the training room.

* * *

Sabine winces as Hera stitches up her blaster wound in the common room.

"Next time you feel distracted, you will be sitting out, got it?" Hera's tone is laced with frustration. "You are lucky it wasn't worse." She finishes the last stitch and leaves to cool down. Sabine sighs, leaning back into the seat. It just grazed her! What's the big deal?

"The big deal is it could have been worse." Ezra's voice makes her jump. How did he- "It's written all over your face. I'm really good at reading people. Had to be."

Sabine sighs. "You going to tell me how stupid I was?"

"Depends on the answer you give. What were you think? Why did it distract you?" Ezra sits down but angles himself to look at her. Sabine sighs and looks away. "I've got all day, Sabine. It really does help to talk about it."

"I don't know why..." Sabine whispers, a pain look crosses her face. "I just can't stop thinking about my parents... what the Empire did to rip apart my family."

"You think that's uncommon?" Ezra asks, raising an eyebrow. After a moment, he thinks about what Alex had said. "The Empire wrecks families everyday. Heck, look at mine. And they have done worse. Just look at the shot takens!"

"Shot takens?" Sabine asks, apparently there are a lot of terms among the Lothal takens Ezra has yet to tell them about.

"Takens who sign up for whatever reason to join the Empire, yet their families aren't overly found of the Empire. If it is sever enough, the Empire will..." Ezra breathes deeply, steadying his voice. "The Empire will make the takens kill their own family as a sign of loyalty." Ezra discreetly eyes Sabine's reaction. For a moment, there is a look of pure devastation of things hitting way to close to home. She schools her expression quickly, but the emotions linger in her Force signature. "It's rare for them to know who there targets are until after..."

"Are there oth- Shoot takens on Lothal?" Sabine asks slowly.

"I think there have been about ten. Alex's brother was one..." Ezra says.

"He has a brother?" Sabine asks surprised. You'd think he'd be protecting Alex.

Ezra looks at the floor. "He... His howling ash bush is nine miles south of Capital City... He couldn't take the guilt." Ezra doesn't add the "Like a lot of others". He doesn't add the surviving ones are drunks.

He starts asking, "Your parent..." He can't finish his question.

"Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la," Sabine sighs. _Not gone, merely marching far away_. Ezra feels his throat tighten for his friend. He squeezes the shoulder of her uninjured arm.

"You need anything, I am here to listen. Anyone on the crew would. Or any one of the Wind Tribe. Ah, Wind Cell!"

Sabine sighs, "Vor'e." _Thanks. _Really, Sabine just needs to be alone.

Ezra seems to sense this and nods, "I'm going to go meditate."

* * *

_ Sabine eyes the hooded couple through the scope of her sniper blaster. She had her mission, an assassination. If she succeeded, her commander promised a rather large promotion. This would be great. Though, she doubted her dad would be too happy about. Thanks to what that man had said they had managed to cool off._

_ Her father would much prefer her home, but with her class schedule she hadn't been home in two years. With this promotion, she might get some time off to see them. According to her commander, the two people she has been sent to kill aided a renegade clonetrooper in kidnaping a cadet in some advanced program. The cadet had since been rescued, but the conspirators were still out there. And she has been sent to deal with two of them. Though, why were they in the capital anyway? Shouldn't they be in hiding? Granted, it did take the Empire a year find them. Still... Follow orders._

_ She spots her targets. She fires without second thought. The woman falls immediately. The man staggers to the wall before collapsing. Sabine drops down, to make sure they are dead and because she is curious as to who the people who defied the Empire._

_ She approaches the woman and pulls back her hood. She needs air but her lungs refuse to let her. Her stomach twist into a knot while trying to puke. She can't even cry despite the ache in her eyes. "No..." She whispers, "NOOO!" She looks over the wound searching all her training for a medical technique that could help her. Her mind won't work. "Stay with me, Mom!" But, she is gone._

_ "Ad...ika..." Her father's voice whispers. She rushes to her father. She takes him into her arms, desperately looking at his wound. She tries to open her medical pack. There has to be enough to save him. Her father stops her, though. "It... won__'t be enough..."_

_ "THERE HAS TO BE!" Sabine yells, tears lacing her voice. "You're going to be alright. You have to be alright." She starts applying the bactine, praying to whatever may be listening to not let her father leave her. "I am so sorry. Please, just don't leave me." Why? Why would he stand up against the Empire?_

_ "Ad'ika... Gar ner ad...Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum..." Her father whispers._

_ "Dad, save your strength." Sabine shushes him._

_ "Aliit ori'shya tal'din... Remember that Ad'ika..." He looks at her with pleading eyes._

_ Sabine nods, her throat in knots, "I... will... Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum, Buir." His hand falls out of hers._

* * *

"Program off." Sonya sighs. Chance stands there, smiling at her, tray in hand. "What are you doing here?" She is startled to see him here. How... The head.. . But...

"I finally got you to come into the dining hall on your own and then the idiots ruins it." Chance chuckles, though Sonya feels the unease in him but not because of her. How is that? "You even forgot to eat." He sets down the tray and sits down. "You okay? Rong said some pretty mean things."

"Why would I? They're true and I have long since been taught to encourage such thoughts." Sonya says.

"Why would they teach that?" Chance shakes his head.

"An inquisitor is fear. Enemy or ally it doesn't matter, we can only be feared. Much like the moffs and other top Imperials." Sonya sits down on the other side of the tray. Sonya looks at the wall at the floor at the ceiling. Anywhere but him. It has to end.

"That sucks..." Chances looks at her.

"In training they do everything to break you to build you as they want you." Sonya clothes her eyes. It has to end. "The head was a man who I cared for very much. A man who, with the help with a mandolorian couple, risked everything to save me. The man gave everything to save me. I couldn't fight after that. I just lost everything after."

"I'm sorry..." Chance puts his hand on her shoulder. She wants lo lean into his kind touch. To allow herself to be weak for once. Her comlink signals an incoming message.

She pulled it out. "What?" She lets out her voice icy and fierce.

An officer who had lost the coin toss says, "Uh... Ma'am... Inquisitor Offee's ship has arrived."

"Prepare for her arrival, I am on my way." She turns off her com. She turns to Chance. "I have had an amazing time with you as my friend. Thank you for everything. But, it must stop."

"WHAT?! NO!" Chance says.

"That is an order, Trooper 98302-A113." Sonya says, shoving down the shaking of her voice.

"With all do respect, _Inquisitor Yon_, you can't order who my friends are and are not." Chance stands up, looking into her eyes.

Sonya looks away. "Please, any attachments will be used against me. That's why they are minimized. Inquisitor Offee... She'll use you against me. I can't stand the thought of you getting hurt _because _of me. And she will hurt you if you are close to me. She killed my d... The man who's head is in my room. She's the one who order me to keep the head in my rooms to further break me."

"Then, I think you are in more need of an ally and friend than before. Sunny, you're stuck with me." Chance says, determined. Of course, he is afraid. But it doesn't take a genius to realize that Sunny has even more reason to be scared. Yet, she is trying to protect him. He couldn't leave her after that. It isn't right.

Sonya gulps, holding up her hand. The words are on her tongue but she can't force them to her lips. She gulps, she says the next best thing she can think up, "You will go to your quarters and reconsider the value of our friendship." She waves her hand.

"I will..." Chance's hand rubs his forehead. He is tougher than most stormtroopers.

Sonya focuses harder, "You will go to your quarters and think about the value of our friendship."

"I will... go to... my quarters and... think the value... of our friendship..." Chance's eye glaze over. He leaves the room. Sonya breathes. Emotionally and physically, that was extraordinarily difficult. She wants nothing more than the to turn on the program and work off the pain. However, Master Offee is arriving.

**Thank you time! Thank you SWFangirl for reviewing, following and favoriting Ner Vod. That****'s the whole shebang. I****'m glad you were able to hear gospel music at the end. I was hoping it didn****'t seem rushed or anything cause it needed to be somber. ****Thank you for reviewing. Awesome name :D Thank you xEPICxBULLEYEx for reviewing. No worries, there are no rules about reviews being ****mandatory. It just makes me happy. Thank you Ichichi05 for reviewing. Sorry, I don't normally do cliffhangers. I think this series is just prone to them. Thank you Midnight Luna. I got the distinct feeling you were trying not to offend me. Don't worry I'm right there with you. I hate OCs. Notice I did not refer to Sonya in the summary.**

**I am having issues with uploading right now, hence why this is out late. So, I answer last week's question next week. See you next week.**


	19. Chapter 18: A Family Divided

**RUHLSAR000 Here! My summer course is almost over! Yay! Sorry about the lateness of last week. I have no clue why, but I literally had to copy and paste and save each section into the document one at a time for it to upload. The last section I had to do it with every single sentence. And ever other save didn't load. The whole process took 3 and a half hours. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! THE LORD OF DRAMA, MICKEY MOUSE, OWNS THEM!**** I apologize for errors, delays and long-winded author's notes.**

Sonya gets to the hangar bay with just enough time to take her position in front of five dozen of her troops, after putting on that cursed uniform. The imperial shuttle lands. Sonya holds her head up high with her hand neatly tucked behind her back. _Just breath, you are only as strong as you believe,_ her master's voice echo in her head. She closes her eye and breathes. She squeeze her hands. Her eyes snap open. She is ready.

That's a lie. However, it doesn't matter. She is coming. So, Sonya must be ready.

She is the picture of control and calculation, everything an inquisitor should be. The shuttle's door opens. _You are a proud user of the dark side of the Force. No one can take that from you._ Her master whispers into her ear. The green skinned woman dressed in a black jumpsuit steps out. Sonya squeeze her hands. _Anger, hate, pain, all are important in using the dark side, but they mean nothing, if not for the patience to use it._ Her master says. _Patience, Sonya, patience._

Sonya has no doubt the real witch senses her anger. Sonya feels the infuriating satisfaction coming off Master Offee. Sonya kneels, "Master Offee." She swallows the bile in her throat. This woman, this monster, will never be her master.

"Apprentice Yon." Barriss Offee address her. "You persistent failure infuriates Lord Vader. Your strength is severally lacking. We will see how much, immediately." I am strong and proud, Sonya says to herself, letting each insult slip of her like the rain from the big yellow rain coat she had when she was five. Sonya stands, her head tall. I am strong and proud. "It seems your former master has proven too fond of you to teach you properly." Sonya stifles, her surprise. She thought her master had succeeded in hiding his affection from others. "He was very weak to let his fondness get in the way of his job." Sonya rings her hands. _Keep your calm. Pride means nothing if it prevents you from doing your job to the Empire_. Her master's voice calms her, or tries to. Her wrists accidentally brush her lightsabers. She wants to kill the witch of a woman. Sonya manages to keep a clear head. "Come, Apprentice." Master Offee says, walking through the hanger. Sonya follows at a measured pass half a step behind. "What information do we have on the Jedi and padawan?"

Sonya starts. "The crew consists of five or six mem-"

"Our jurisdiction is the Jedi. Leave the rebels to Lord Vader and his people." Master Offee cuts her off as if scolding a small child.

"Yes Ma'am. The Jedi and padawan are members of a very loyal rebel cell. They will not be apprehend without their crew being apprehended as well." Sonya keeps her voice submissive. More than she would have liked. More than she is with Lord Vader. Of course, it is. She is facing the monster that destroyed her family, her life, and just her.

"Very well. What of these rebels?" Barriss says.

"There are five or six. The four I've seen plus a pilot. However, the youngest member, the padawan's call sign is 'Specter 6'. So, it stands to reason there is another unseen member. They are under Fulcrum's division of the Rebel Alliance. We do not know if Fulcrum is one of the leaders or a middle manager. The pilot, from Agent Kallus's reports, is a green twi'elk with lighter designs on her lekku. Her call sign is Specter 2. The Jedi is Kanan Jarrus. I have no doubt that you've already read his file. His call sign is Specter 1. From that we can presume, he is the leader. Next would be Specter 3. He is the one I have never scene.

"Specter 4 is a Lasat. From his choice of weapon, he was in the honor guard before the genocide. He is the muscle of the group. However, it can be inferred that he is highly intelligent. Spector 5 is a Mandolorian warrior, nicknamed the Artist by a base on Lothal. She is highly skilled in languages and in explosives; as such it is clear that she has been highly educated, maybe even in an Imperial Academy. She has a wit unmatched by most." Except my father, Sonya can't help but add in her head. "The last one is Specter 6. As mentioned before, he is the Padawan. And most likely the newest member. He is unrefined, but he is very strong in the Force. He is very... He doesn't let things stop him. He is young and brash but he is very creative.

Oh, his lightsaber-"

"I've heard enough, Apprentice." Barriss hushes Sonya. They have arrived at the training room. "Now, I will see how your lightsaber technique has progressed." Sonya didn't need any more prompting to rush at her new master.

X

Sonya bites back a wince as the medic stitches up her head wound. Offee is vicious. Granted, Sonya should have expected her to be better than the average inquisitor after all she was trained by a Jedi Master before she fell to the Dark Side. That meant she's been trained since she was two. Sonya's head snaps to the door. She ignores the sharp pain of accidentally pulls two stitches and the needle from the medic's hand. Was Chance- No, he couldn't be. She order him to stay away, WITH the mind trick. He must have just been passing through.

She returns her head to its former position, with a resigned sigh. "Just slap a bacta patch on it for now." She orders.

"With all due respect, Ma'am, I must insist on-" the medic begins.

"I have orders. Master Offee will not be please if I am delayed." Sonya says, getting up. She goes to the cabinet she knows they are in and slaps one on. Any protest in the medic's throat dies under her glare. She leaves without a word.

X

"Is it just me or does it seem like this place is designed to split us up?" Ezra says through the com as he crawls through the vents.

"Just set your charge." Kanan sighs. Ezra knows it is because he is right. Something is up. And they both really don't like it. Ezra slides into the room quietly. He removes his backpack and starts shuffling around and grabs the charge. He puts it on the beam. Ezra senses something. "Ah, Huttslim-" He says as he spins around only for a metal cylinder to hit him hard enough to knock him unconscious.

"Really? Mom would was out your mouth out with soap if she heard you." Sonya mumbles. She sighs as she picks him up. He isn't that heavy. She can feel the lack of a healthy layer of fat under his skin. A group of a dozen stormtroopers march in. Overkill? Sonya thinks.

One goes to her and takes Ezra. Sonya is surprised that she senses the trooper is Chance. Instead of scolding him in front her troops, which would demonstrate a lack of control, she hands him Ezra, as if it was previously ordered. "Move." She orders, leading them to the designate cell. The Lothal Rebels had played into their hands.

X

Kanan wakes up in a cell, a strange void surrounding him. He recalls reading about Force Inhibitors as a padawan. Ezra has no such knowledge. If they captured him and injected him with Force Inhibitors, he would be at a complete loss and probably panic.

He pushes off the ground with his hand cuffed together and takes inventory of his surrounding, which aren't much. He is in an eight by six foot room, completely bar. Not even a bench. The walls were solid except for the wall in front of him, which was a force field. So, picking a lock was no good. He didn't even need to check to know both his lightsaber, blaster and even holster are gone. The now familiar weight is gone, and it sets him on edge. If the situation isn't so dire, he would laugh. A year ago the weight of his lightsaber was pretty much foreign. Now, he is anxious without it.

Kanan stands up and looks around. There is always a way out. There has to be. Ezra. Sabine. Zeb. They need him. As such he can't let him being cut off from the Force cause him to panic. He touches the force field. Solid. He spies the control panel on the other side of the corridor. Two stormtrooper line either side of the cell. So, when he got out, he'd have to deal with them without a blaster or the Force. He glares at the stormtroopers before looking over the walls. He taps them. They are at least an inch thick and each wall is a solid piece of steel. The only welds are where each wall meets another.

Kanan sighs. There may always be a way out, but it is going to take a while to figure it out.

X

A sense of urgency floods the cloaked woman. She senses two stormtroopers guarding her target. She pauses to breath. Then she moves, Force pulling both at her. She clotheslines both, knocking them into unconsciousness. She rips away their coms. Then she looks at her target. Caleb Dume. Now known as Kanan Jarrus.

"Who are you?" He asks distrust lacing his voice. She feels his Force signature and realizes he has been injected with Force Inhibitors. She curses internally, but she holds he hand to her lips. Caleb's eye widen, "Mast..." He stops the continues as a whisper, "Master Akatsukin?" She does not answer. Instead, she taps a few things into the control panel. The force field drops.

Caleb walks out of the cell. "Thank you, Master. What are you doing here?" Master Akatsukin doesn't answer, instead releasing his restraints and handing him his blaster and lightsaber. Kanan takes his weapons and holsters them. Akatsukin shoves the guards into the cell and turn on the force field. Then, she points down the hall and starts in that direction. Caleb follows her.

She leads them down many halls, sneaking flawlessly as the past eight year plus her twenty-nine years as a Jedi made sure of that. Caleb follows as quietly as he can and is just as successful. She pauses, holding up her hand. Wait.

Akatsukin jumps around the corner and takes out two stormtroopers before Caleb could say "Master Mirada Akatsukin".

"Woah!" Caleb hears Sabine says. He comes out. "Specter 1!" Sabine says, in relief. Miranda turns off the force field, and tosses Sabine her blasters. Sabine steps out of the cell. "Who's your friend?"

"Specter 5, this is Jedi Master Miranda Akatsukin, I think." Kanan says. "She hasn't said a word yet."

Miranda walks down the hall. "I see what you mean." Sabine snarks. Still, hard to argue with some who is helping them. Miranda leads them swiftly down and quietly down the halls to Zeb's cell, where she frees him and returns his bo-rifle to him. Zeb manages to mumble a thanks before Miranda swiftly leads them off. Only Ezra remains.

Miranda follow the knowledge she hacked on base to locate the last of the cell. "Master," Kanan says. Miranda looks up at him, though her hood still cloaks the upper half of her face. "I think our time is short. The Force Inhibitors are wearing off." Miranda nods, rubbing the bridge of her nose under the cloak. Then, she points to the left.

Almost like a prophecy, a group of five stormtroopers rush from a corridor to the right. "Freeze!"

Miranda pulls out a blaster and stuns two. Sabine stuns two more. Kanan stuns the last one.

"Hey! You didn't save me any!" Zeb whines.

"Think we have more important things to worry about," Sabine rolls her eyes under her helmet.

Kanan looks at Miranda's blaster as she holsters it, then raises an eyebrow. Miranda just smirks, shrugging. She points, apart of her sounds nervous. They don't need anymore instruction to rush.

The cell is empty. Miranda looks at the cell. Kanan though only just getting his ability to access the Force back, feels confusion and utter devastation coming off her. Kanan turns to Sabine, "Can you find where he is being held?"

Sabine answers, "If I can get into their system. But well probably need a distraction to get close." Mirada nods, volunteering to do it.

"It's too dangerous." Kanan protests.

Miranda hands Kanan Ezra's lightsabers, "Protect him." And she is gone.

X

"19,560?!" Inquisitor Offee shouts. Sonya just stares at the boy ,knocked out and in the medical tube, jaw set as carefully as she could. 19,560. The number runs through her head, ramming against her skull until her ears ring. "Per cell?" Offee clarifies. The medical officer nods, mutely. "Run the test again." Offee orders. Was it even possible to have a midi-cholorian count that high? Sure, her brother is powerful, but... 19,560? Yoda had what? 18,000?

19,560... That nearly broke the scale. Sonya jolts. Her brother is stronger in the Force than Yoda. Frog-breath flipping Yoda, the Yoda. Sonya stares at the screen those five little numbers. Together, they mean that the Empire will never leave him alone. Maybe she could hack the test...

"Ma'am?" A medic says timidly.

"What?" Offee barks.

"There is something else..." He says. "The boy's DNA is rather interesting... It appears..."

"It appears?" Offee says.

"Well, his paternal DNA is what we'd expect if... if his father was a clonetrooper." The medic says. Tell me something I don't know, Sonya thinks. The clonetrooper's head is in her room.

Inquisitor Offee smirks, "Interesting. This could be the break our friends on Kamino are looking for."

"Hm?" Sonya quirks an eyebrow. "Didn't the Empire seise use of clones? After all, the troopers proved to be a danger to those on the Dark side and cost the Senate an arm and a leg."

"That is none of your business, my apprentice." Inquisitor Offee circles the tube. Sonya's head snaps to her brother realizing all too late what he master is may be speaking of. True, right now force-sensitivity, while is genetic, has proven impossible to clone, with the gene breaking down each time. At least, that's what she had gleamed off sources and reports. The trouble seemed replicating the Force-gene in a way that it attached to the synthesized genes used in the cloning process. Her brother already had synthesized genetics passed down from his father mixed with a Force-sensitivity gene, and a strong one at that.

This could solve the Inquisitor shortage... Forget that! With this they could create an army of Force-sensitives... Sonya feels her stomach turn queasy and she can't locate the source.

"What?!" Inquisitor Offee says in a low voice. Sonya's head snaps to her. Inquisitor Offee removes her hand from her comm. "Stay here and guard the boy. It is imperative he does not escape."

"There has been a breach?" Sonya asks. Even with the overkill?

"An outside source." Inquisitor Offee states before walking off.

Sonya turns to a stormtrooper, which happens to be Chance of course. Sonya is certain the universe hates her. "What is going on out there?"

"All three of the other rebels have escape with for lack of a better word a one woman army, Ma'am." Chance says. She pretends the formality doesn't hurt. Sonya reaches out with her senses. She is rewarded with a familiar brush against her consciousness. It is warm and compassionate and wise and sad. It is what brushed her before she even started training, when she was sick, when she was hurt, when she was sad. Sonya's heart clenches and she swallows down the tears. The pain increases as she feels regret. Sonya has no doubt the regret stems from saving a little baby that would become a inquisitor from dying on the street. The woman was Jedi Master Miranda Akatsukin. She is lost in thought for five minutes, before she sense something.

A ball rolls into the room. "Huttslime." Sonya sighs, grabbing Chance by the back of his armor and pulling them behind a desk. Seriously, he just returned to non-paperwork duty. The explosion's color leaves no doubt who is responsible.

Sonya looks at Chance. Even without the Force, she knows he is smirking. "Cover me." She orders in a harsh whisper, taking out her lightsabers. She goes to jump out, but pauses. "Don't hit me."

"I was the best shot of my class." Chance whispers, in a tone far to informal. He readies his blaster.

Sonya can't stop the comment, "You act like that's an accomplishment." She smirks, jumping into the fray. Only she and Chance are conscious. Wonderful. Not even she can tell if she is being sarcastic or not.

Chance's blasts cause Sabine and Zeb to duck behind a desk. Kanan lunges at her. Sonya catches his lightsaber against her hilts in an X-block. She front kicks him in the solarplex. The wind is knocked out of him, but one look at Ezra in the tube and he pushes through it. He has just enough time to block her two strong blades.

Sonya uses the force of the clash to bounce back, before dropping to avoid a stray bolt. She grabs a destroyed computer with the Force and flings it at the Lasat and Mandalorian, shattering the desk. So, much for the data on her brother. Chance fires at them. The Mandalorian signal the Lasat. The two split up.

Smart, but not enough. Chance is struggling with two fast moving target. Sonya parries a slash and Force jumps to the other side of the Mandalorian. She kicks the Mandolorian in the back. She hits the ground. Sonya swings her lightsabers down. Kanan knocks her lightsabers away, scorching the floor. Sonya maneuvers a round kick to his head. She hits him as the Mandalorian swipes out her leg. Sonya and Kanan crash down. As she land, Sonya's leg grazes against Kanan's saber, leaving a deep gash in her thigh. She lets out a hiss, but jumps on Kanan and begins punching. The Mandalorian jumps her, pulling her off Kanan. Sonya sees Chance struggling with the Lasat.

He going to get seriously hurt, A-FLIPPING-GAIN. Know your limits! She moves her hand, pinned above her head. "Sleep!" Chance falls over, unconscious. Sonya looks at the Mandalorian's discarded blaster. She momentarily closes her eyes, pulling the trigger with the Force. It hit its mark; Her. Darkness surrounds her.

Sabine sighs, relief flooding her. Kanan stands and gives her a hand, "I'll admit she is better than the Pa'un Inquisitor." Kanan glances at the blaster.

"Lucky my blaster miss fired." Sabine picks it up.

"Yeah..." Kanan says, though he doubts it miss fired.

"The bucket-heads just get weaker and weaker. I didn't even hit knock this one in the head. He might have been a challenge if he hadn' konked out." Zeb shoves the trooper as side.

"Maybe it was the smell," Sabine says, as she rushes to the tube, grateful that the air pump control is separate from the computer. She begins typing the codes into the base of the tube to open it. Kanan takes his lightsaber and cuts the glass quickly, and catches Ezra as he falls forward. "That works too." Sabine jokes.

The four make their way out and signal for Hera and the _Phantom_. They are out surprisingly, quick. Another ship blasts through their usual dogfight. Kanan smiles, sensing Master Akatsukin on board the other ship. Together, they manage to open a hole and both jump to hyperspace, in separate directions.

Kanan smiles sadly. He gets out of the turret and walks to the med-bay. Ezra is lying on the cold bed, still unconscious. Kanan goes to get supplies. Ezra stirs a little. Kanan sends calming waves through their bond. But, Ezra shrugs it off, struggling awake. Kanan turns to Ezra.

Ezra's eyes flutter open. "Mom..." He whispers. He struggles to sit up, "Mom?"

"Easy," Kanan puts his hand on a delusional Ezra's shoulder. "Rest." Ezra falls backs, slipping into unconscious. Kanan continues checking his padawan.

X

"Master?" Talia looks up from her form. "You back?" Her master nods at her, before grabbing a first aid kit. "Master Moana?" Talia asks then sees the wound on her Master's arm. Talia drops her wooden practice saber, rushing forward. "What the kriff heppened? Where were you?" Talia examines the wound. Her master is surprised by her padawan's, for lack of a better word, mothering, but knows better than to stop someone from mothering.

Her master just chuckles. "You really are one of a kind."

X

Sonya sighs, her mind running over several things at once. Two, however, stand out. The first being the fact, Inquisitor Barriss Offee kriffing knows her brother is "Padawan Bridger". Sonya shutters slightly at the memory. Offee even gave her a complement, saying it was a clever diversion, giving a fake name. They had on record the Bridgers had two seven year old. If the Empire looked for them, they'd look for two kids together instead of a single boy, unknowing they had already caught one.

Sonya sighs. It wasn't a fake name so much as a lost name. The name sewn into the blanket she was found in. Yet, it kept her brother out of the Empire's clutches for the first critical days.

But, the charade is over. Offee knows. What happens next she doesn't know.

The other thing is her mother. Her mother had been at the compound. Sonya is torn between hurt that her mother didn't try to contact her and floored that her mother came to an Imperial base with no less than twenty inquisitors on her hide. Sonya would know, she's counted. A hundred and twenty seven times. What's worse is Inquisitor Offee, knowing she is her mother, mentioned her being injured. Was she okay? Clearly, she made it out but... Her mom isn't the only injured party today; her thigh reminds her as does the throbbing in her head.

A blue holographic blade hits her neck

"Mission: Failed." The computer voice says. The hologram shuts off. Sonya sighs. She keeps messing up the missions she's done a million and one times. The ones she can do blindfolded and without the Force. Because of this leg wound. Maybe she could get off it just a little while...

Sonya turns and freezes. There is Chance with his usual tray of food. For the first time in forever, Sonya is stunned. Not even finding out her brother was a padawan, shock that it was, rendered her speechless. Yet, here she is, struggling to make her mouth work.

Chance doesn't look happy. "You shouldn't be on that leg."

"I thought I told you not to be friends with me anymore." Sonya says.

Chance smirks, "Nope. You said to think about our friendship. And I came to the conclusion that I wasn't going to let that happen and that it means a heck of a lot to me. What type of friend would I be if I left you alone when you need me most?"

"Chance. No." Sonya closes her eyes. This has to end. "You're playing with fire."

"And you're in fire." Chance says, setting the tray down.

"And maybe you don't know what it's like to burn." Sonya snarks back, frustration lacing her voice.

"I've been burned before." Chance rolls his eyes.

"Not like this." Sonya sighs, turning away. She can't face him.

Chance turns her back towards him. "I'm not letting you burn alone."

Sonya stares into those purple eyes of his. "No. You will only get hurt."

"Why do you keep saying that? I going to be fine!" Chance huffs.

"Drop it." Sonya orders.

"No." Chance says. "Why?!"

"Because everyone does!" Sonya snaps, loudly, spinning away from him. "Everyone... Everyone gets hurt... Everyone I care about..." Sonya breathes trying to calm herself. Chance puts his hand on her shoulder. She shrugs it off. "My birth parents abandoned me... My mom's padawan couldn't travel with my family, her family, because it would have brought to much attention... My family was ripped apart... My parents tortured by the Empire before escaping... My brother grew up on the street... My father was killed trying to save me... Mom got inquisitors on her tail... My master was killed... My brother lost his arm..." Sonya sucks in a breath that refused to be let in. "I'm a curse. Everyone I cared about... cared for... they only get hurt." Arms rap around her.

"Those weren't your fault." Chance whispers into her ear.

"At least five of those are directly traceable to me." Sonya snaps back.

"Maybe they knew you are worth the risk." Chance says.

"I'm not." Sonya sighs.

Chance releases her and spins her around, "You most certainly are." Sonya doesn't look at him. "Okay, how about you eat while you tell me what the heck you did to me? Twice!"

Sonya smiles and starts limping to the bench. She collapses down next to the tray. "The Force can influences those who are weak minded."

"Oh, so I am weak minded." Chance smirks, sounding put off.

He is rewarded with a chuckle. Sonya smirks, "Well, that's not exactly uncommon for a stormtrooper. Plus, I think it has something to do with will of the Force user."

Chance lets out a loud laugh, "I don't feel so bad. No one can stand up to your will." Chance collapses down next to her.

**Thank you time! Thank you Ichichi05, Paint the Wolf, and Midnight Luna for reviewing. Paint, I hope you had fun at camp. Thank you Spartan517 for following and favoriting.**

**Last question times answer!**

**I have a surprising number of pet peeves. But my biggest pet peeves are:**

**1) Under developed story ideas. You know the awesome idea that falls flat on execution due to lack of effort on the writers part and you can tell.**

**2) OCs. A lot of fanfiction authors write them like the regular cast and you just can't do that. We have no reason to care about them. I've actual had to stop reading some fanfics because the OC took over and were underdeveloped. Notice, I put a lot of effort into my OCs. They are fully fleshed out before they even enter the story. And even then I try to minimize the use and do back flips to make sure it fits into the backstory of the existing characters. **

**3) A million and one nitpicks. My number one for Rebels is Ezra's hair. His hair is not blue. It is black. The blue is an animation technique. Colors look different in animation. It's why Ezra can pull off an orange jump suit without looking like an awful. Black is on the other end of the spectrum, where any large mass of black looks like a blob. You can see this with Vader in Siege of Lothal. He is covered with light reflecting of the suit. And in older animation, like Ray from Sailor Moon, hair is highlighted with lighter colors to add depth to the hair.**

**Sorry for ranting. .'**

**Question Time 1: How do you think Kanan's going to react to Rex this season?**


	20. Chapter 19: Things Start to Tare

**Hey RUHLSAR000 here! **

**xEPICxBULLSEYEX, I hope you read this. I hear you've been having a hard time. I am sorry to here that. But, things will get better. They always do, but you have to stay strong and power through the bad to get to those good things. Remember, it may not seem like it, but no matter how bad things get, nothing you cannot over come. I love your stories and your comments on mine have made me very happy. I know I would miss you and your impact on the Star Wars Rebels Fanfic community. You are important. I hope you are feeling better. Stay strong.**

**I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBEL! THEY BELONG TO THE MOUSE!**

**I apologize for any errors and delays. **

**Also, I am going out of town tomorrow for vacation, meaning no update next week. Sorry about that.**

Sonya walks down the hall, nose in a data pad. But she was unable to focus on the words on it. What could that cloning project be? How was he brother any way? His cell hasn't returned to Lothal since the raid of the Pin. That medical tube he was in couldn't have been good for his metal arm.

Two hands slide over her eyes. "Chance." Sonya smiles, as he releases her. "You should really stop doing that. What if someone catches us." But she knows her point is both valid and mute. Chance always checks. And given this section of the ship's proximity to the training rooms and everyone is either on duty or on free time, it is deserted.

"Using your Force powers is cheating!" Chance huffs, a pout on his lips.

"I didn't." Sonya rolls her eyes. "You're just the only one on this ship stupid enough to try it."

"And Beauty wounds the Beast." Chance playfully grabs his chest.

Sonya thwaps him on the back of the head, "Kid, I think I'm both."

"So, how was your first month under Commander Short Temper." Chance asks, as they continue to slowly walk down the hall.

"Don't endanger yourself by making fun of her." Sonya says.

"That's the PC version, you should hear some of the stuff they are calling her in the galley. It's even worse than what they call you. And she hasn't done anything but glare and run everyone ragged, yet." Chance says. Sonya gives a sarcastic "Ha".

"Half the troopers are underestimating how nasty she is. The other sees that you are cautious of her and realize that must mean something." Chance says.

Sonya sighs, looking at the floor, "Chance... You don't need to tell me this. I've lived it. She was... She has always been the one to ruin my life."

Chance puts a hand on her shoulder, "So?"

Sonya shakes her head, needing no more information to know what he is asking, "Considering Taskmaster Short Temper has me doing 9 hours of physical training in 5 hours, 10 hour of strategic training in 7 hours, in addition to studying Jedi mindset for 4 hours, and reviewing my dark side training for 5 hours each day?"

"Well, that leaves you three hours to spend with me," Chance smiles, clearly being sarcastic.

"You're lucky I am at the point where I only have enough energy for one head thump a day." Sonya says, suppressing a yawn.

"Seriously, though. How do you find time to talk to me everyday?" Chance pushes the lift button for her

Sonya smiles, softly. Chance knows she not going to answer. The how isn't important to her, it's the why. He see it in way her posture shifts, the way her smile reaching her eyes when she thinks of something more pleasant than daily life.

The lift arrives. Sonya steps in. But, before it closes, she puts her hand in the doorway, preventing it from closing. "This isn't meant to get pity or look creepy or anything. But, when something is the best part of your day and quite frankly the only thing you have to look forward to, you make time." She removes her hand from the doorway. The door closes immediately. It takes her until she reaches her floor for her to regain control and her blush to fade from her cheeks. Chance gets tease by his friends for the blush plastered on his face for the rest of the day.

* * *

D smiles at the datapad she is reading again. Was it a bad novel? Absolutely. Is it her guilty pleasure? She will never admit it. Nor will she admit to have read it oh... twenty-two times. "D?" Ezra's voice surprises her. She slips off the log and on to the ground with an "umph".

D looks up to see Kanan and Ezra. "Hey, what bring's you two out here?"

Ezra smiles, walking over and picks up the datapad. He looks at in focus for a moment, before sighing. "We came here to training. We aren't exactly keen on everyone knowing we're Jedi, you know. You?"

D rolls her eyes taking her datapad. She knows that. Heck, the only reason _some_ of the Phoenix Cell knows they are Jedi is because of her and her ability to sense they were trained in the Force. That had been a fun conversation between her, Sage, and Ahsoka. Not that any of the ones who know saw it as important enough to mention. "Enjoying the fresh air while relaxing with a good book. Nothing better, right?"

"R-right?" Ezra rubs the back of his head and smiled awkwardly. D raises an eyebrow. Why would he feel uncomfortable? D fights down a blush. Did he actually realize what book it was? Kriffing karablast! This is so embarrassing. She reaches out with the Force to get a grasp of his emotions. To her confusion, she feels that he is embarrassed. Why would he be embarrassed? D is the one reading the bane of book-lovers everywhere. His mental shields shoot up and his cheeks light up.

Kanan gives one of those cough that are given to get someone's attention. Both turn to face him. "Want to begin, Ezra?" Kanan says.

Ezra nods. "Don't mind us practicing, do you?" Ezra asks her.

"Have at it, Padawan." D smiles, she punches his shoulder. He rolls his eyes at the gesture, returning to his normal self, but a small hint of embarrassment remains.

Ezra smiles and goes over to Kanan. Kanan whispers to him, "Done flirting?"

D, having not heard Kanan, is confused as to why Ezra's embarrassment shoots up, again. This time with an added helping of annoyance.

The two begin practicing and D tries to return to her novel. She can't seem to get completely immersed in the world like she had before. D sighs and yells at herself that Ezra is her friend. He doesn't care about her choice in books. Heck, they never even talk about books.

"Stop!" D hears Kanan says. She glances up. Ezra has frozen mid turn, single lightsaber fulling extending. "You're holding your lightsaber to far out. Start over." Ezra nods, beginning the form from its start again.

D looks back at her novel. But, she is finding it significantly less appealing for some reason. After another five minutes, she gives up and figures she might sneakishly learn some Jedi teachings. She glances up at the pair, just in time to see Ezra trip on a root. She suppresses a snort of a giggle. A giggle? What? Is she turning into a Core girl who's only concern is fashion? Granted, their giggles are more "cute" than the one she let out.

"Your distracted. What's up?" Kanan asks. "You haven't been like this since Empire..." His voice trails off as if just realizing something sensitive.

"No, it's not the day my parents were taken." Ezra says, getting up. "Though, thank you for bringing up that lovely memory. Let's do this again." Kanan doesn't push the issue, most likely not liking the taste of foot.

Ezra takes a deep breath, pushing whatever was distracting him. He begins doing it again. He is really good... when he isn't distracted. She watches the form, memorizing each step. The slide of his back foot on his turn. The arcing of his lightsaber during the third strike. The fire in his eyes. The way his messy hair flies as he moves. Woah! Back it up!

D look down at the screen. Ezra is just a friend. Someone who could easily become her best friend. And anyone would have to be blind to not see that he is attractive, if a little on the short side. But, that's all. Besides, the rebellion is her first priority and it's not like she sees him enough to actually have any romantic feeling. He is a friend. He is strong. He is compassionate. He is funny. He is intelligent.

D's eyes widen. She glances up at him. Ezra is a taken, has been since he was really young. Takens probably weren't welcome in school. Can Ezra... Is Ezra illiterate? That would explain his embarrassment. D feels the urge to hit herself. It is a real possibility and there she blabbed about how wonderful reading. Wow, take about foot in mouth.

Trashy romance novels. They solve everything. D buries her head into the lines of dialogue. Oh, Isa has given up trying to find out what Edwin is... D really needs to pick up some new novels on their next supply run.

* * *

"I think we should rest up." Kanan says, as they seem to finish up. "We have an op in a hour."

"I know." Ezra rolls his eyes.

"Don't be late." Kanan repeats.

"I won't." Ezra says, frustrated. Kanan holds up his hands in mock surrender before returning inside. D stands and walks over to him. Ezra, without missing a beat, says, "My crew is _sooo _betting on _when_ we get together." Ezra uses air quotes on the when.

"Wouldn't surprise me. I think the base is betting on whether you end up with Sabine or me." D rolls her eyes.

Ezra groans, "We aren't like that. We're just friends." Ezra lets out an exacerbated sigh.

"I know, right? People see a guy and a girl and automatically think they must be crushing. It's ridiculous." D smiles. And she means every word. So does Ezra. Neither feels any sting from each others' words or pulled heart strings. They are friends, that is enough.

"What's up?" Ezra asks.

"Hm..." D asks.

"You sent out a huge wave of embarrassment back there. Twice." Ezra says.

"I could ask you the same." D shoots back. "I, honestly, was wondering how much I unknowingly choked on my foot."

"I, honestly, don't know what you're talking about." Ezra say, genuinely confused but his voice is playful.

"Ezra... Can you read?" D blurts out. Ezra looks stunned then his cheek flush in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. There is nothing wrong with not being able to read." D lists off the first things that come to her mind trying to find some way to salvage the situation.

"I can read." Ezra stops her mid word. He looks away, "Just not very well."

"Sorry I brought it up." D says.

"Don't be. I've been dealing with it since I was seven." Ezra says. D notes that that is probably when his parents were taken. A pit forms in her stomach.

"Kanan doesn't help you with it? Or Hera? Or any of the others?" D asks. Zeb and Sabine are famous around the base for being bookworms. Hera is just plain motherly and would have helped if asked. And need she say anything about Kanan.

"Oh, yeah. I could ask them..." Ezra says, clearly not having thought about it.

D face palms. "Seriously!"

Ezra holds up his hands, "Hey! I'm a taken. We cover up our weaknesses scarily well. Plus, it's kind of assumed among the takens that most takens are either not skilled at reading or illiterate."

"Should I be worried about the Wind Cell?" D asks, concerned.

"Nah, Sophia was fifteen when she became a taken, and taught them all to read. I think Sophia, Zhu and Caleb are working on recording the tribe's stories." Ezra says.

"And she couldn't teach you because?" D asks.

"She join the Wind Tribe, I left the Fire Tribe." Ezra says, as if obvious. And it is to him. D shoves his shoulder. "Right, sorry."

"So, you heard anything from them?" D asks.

"Lips sealed?" Ezra says, smirking. D zips her lips and presses her cheek like she is activating a lock. "They are adjusting well, at least according to Ahsoka. They have been put on spying, cause of how young they are. Caleb isn't happy about it, he'd rather be kicking butt, but is dealing with it. That's not surprising. They all miss Talia though..."

D puts her hand on his shoulder, "We'll find her. She's smart enough to hide her Force abilities. That means she'll probably be taken to one of the labor camp or another Pin."

Ezra removes her hand, "Or at Jabba's palace or some other slave masters. Even with her lekku damaged..."

"I only met her once, but she reminded you, a surviver." D reassures. But, both know her words are hollow. While true, they are only meant to reassure. Ezra is probably right. Ezra swallows hard.

D looks around trying to find something to say. Her eyes glance down. She sees the datapad in her hand. "Umm... When you get back from that mission, I could... I could help you improve your reading."

Ezra sighs and looks at her. "Thanks. Thank you. I'd like that."

"You'd better get down there." D says.

"Right." Ezra says walking to the door.

"Ezra!" D calls out after a moment. Ezra turns to her. "Talia is strong. You know that better than I... May the Force be with you."

Ezra smiles and nods, "May the Force be with you."

Ezra takes leave his friend. They are friends, maybe best friends. They aren't ready for anything more.

* * *

Ezra drops down into the room, from a window which was thankfully unlocked. Then again, why would they lock a window on the tenth floor. Chopper flies in after him. "Alright, Specter 3. Shut down the security." Chopper beeps at him. "Hey, would you prefer to be pair with Specter 4?"

Chopper is about to beep something sarcastic, as he swings his sensors towards Ezra, but then he starts beeping franticly. Then, Ezra senses her.

"So, this is the missing specter." Sonya's voice comes from behind him. Ezra turns to her, slowly. "A C1 unit? Nice paint job, little one." Chopper pulls out his blaster. Sonya raises an eyebrow. Ezra holds out his hand, glancing at Chopper then to the control panel. Chopper beeps the puts his blaster away and rolls further behind Ezra.

"Cute. He reminds me of Miss Nora's pet... What was it? It was cranky as heck whatever it was." Sonya says.

"I can't remember." Ezra shakes his head. "Sunny, please. Stop this. I know the girl I knew is in there."

"She maybe." Sonya admits, closing her eyes. "But do you think she could honestly live with the things she's done. The lives she has taken."

Ezra takes a raged breath, "Did you... Did you kill the commander at the Pin?"

"The Pin?" Sonya raises an eye brow, "Do you mean the Remote Air Field Relocation Center on Lothal? The place those kids were taken?" Ezra nods. That was probably it. "Yes, I did. And frankly that is the kill I have the least problem with. Good job destroying it."

Ezra takes another raged breath, "There is a reason why no taken had killed him before. And believe me, it wasn't moral. Not for most of them. The trappers are loyal to each other. They take a great pleasure in hunting down takens who hurt their fellow trapper. The taken you framed can't go home now."

"I'm sorry?" Sonya say, confused, nor quite grasping the situation. Takens didn't have home to her knowledge.

"She was a tribe leader. Had a whole group of takens, a family, depending on her!" Ezra shouts. "Why would you do that?! Why would you hurt her?! Why would you tare that family apart!" Neither is sure if he talking taking about Talia anymore, as Ezra lets the pain that's been building up for the past three and a half months boil to the surface.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is?! To pretend everyday, that I am fine, because I don't want my judgement to be question. Even though it should be. To pretend I am fine, when I feel like I am in the haze of a nightmare! To pretend I am not about to break down, so that I don't break down," Ezra shouts. All the pain that he has been holding in since he found out about Sonya is spread out and Ezra is finding he can't let go of any of it.

"I may have an idea." Sonya says, darkly. But, then her voice changes to one of hope. "But... maybe... we could... you know...leave together... No Empire, no rebellion, just you and me. Or you can join me and the Empire? It's a hard life but..."

"Are you listening to yourself?" Ezra says. "I can't and more importantly won't turn my back on those who need me. There was a time you wouldn't either."

"Are you sure your on the right side, though?" Sonya asks.

"Seriously, are you listening to yourself? You hate the Empire as much as I do. I can feel it. You've dislike the Empire since we were kids. And that feeling has only grown." Ezra says.

"I hate the Dark Side." Sonya says. "Ezra, I love you. But... if you stay on the side of the Rebellion, I will be force to kill you."

"You don't have it in you." Ezra glares, determined. They both know he's right.

"You're right. I guess it's a good thing Master Offee wants you alive, for now." Sonya ignites her lightsaber.

"It's a good thing Specter 3's done!" Ezra says. Sonya swerves to see the droid by the window. Ezra takes the moment to vault through the window, followed by the droid. Sonya rushes to the window. Ezra got to the ground safely, before rushing to the Lasat.

Sonya punches the window seal. She bites back the tears. This tares at her each day and she can't live like that. _HE_ can't live like that. One day one of them will crumple. For some reason she feels it will be her. And if she crumples, she will die.

Biting down her tears, she steps on to the ledge. She has a job to do.

* * *

"What kept you?" Zeb gruffs, as they run.

"The Blonde in the window." Ezra says.

Zeb glances behind him to the window, "Karablast! She's not 'n tha window anymore." Ezra glance behind him. Sonya has dived after him. He barely sees her touch down a hundred meters away, before she's in his face and shoving a fist into a gut, sending him to the ground. Sonya flips over a crate in under half a second, dodging a comparatively slow punch from Zeb, and landing a kick to his kidneys. Zeb face plants into a crate, hard. Sonya Force pushes Chopper into another crate hard enough that something is knocked out of place, causing him to shut down.

Ezra tries to regain his breath. He makes a startling realization. While he knew she was the better duelist, he thought he was relatively close behind. Notice the tense. He realizes now, she has been holding back. Even during the battle where she took his hand, she was limited by space and curiosity to see what the padawan knew. Sonya smirks, seeing the realization in his eyes. She ignite her other lightsaber, pointing them at his neck, "Did you really think someone with a little over a year's worth of training could go up evenly with someone's who's been forced to perfection since she was seven? I'll admit you've got talent. You did give me a lot of trouble in our first fight. In two years, it may be a very different story. But, for now, you're just not up to parr-"

Sonya swings around blocking blaster fire from a ship. The _Phantom_. Ezra kicks out her legs. She falls, hissing as she lands on her bad leg. The leg that, because of her intense practice over the past month, has yet to heal.

Zeb is beginning to come to. Kanan hops out of the _Phantom_, helping him aboard. Ezra runs to Chopper pushing him upright and then onto the _Phantom_.

* * *

Sonya struggles to get up. A smirk plays on her face. She feels Chance rush to her. "Are you okay?" He ask, through his helmet. She is growing to hate that helmet. It makes him sound like everyone else, when he is not. He just amazing.

"Never better." Sonya shifts her weight to her non-injured leg. Now that the Force enhancement was gone, it hurt like... well... a lightsaber wound.

"It's reopened again." Chance says. A dozen ties shoot after the _Ghost_

Sonya glances down. A red spot on her white legging is growing. "Huttslime. I am running out of non stained leggings."

"Let's be more concerned about your well being." Chance says, and even through the helmet she can hear the eye roll.

"I am. If this keeps up, I'll be force to wear that awful uniform more than necessary." Sonya jokes. Chance smiles under his helmet, despite his worry. Sonya never smiled before she met him, she had told him as much. Now, she was joking, granted it was in a dark way. "Now, get back to your post, Trooper. Before I have to give out disciplinary action." Sonya says, only half joking.

"Yes, Ma'am." Chance salutes, his voice light. Sonya rolls her eyes. Sonya heads the medical ward. The nurse on duty doesn't have the courage to say it, especially under Sonya's glare, but is clearly thinking 'Again?'.

Sonya sighs as the nurse gathers the material for stitches. She hadn't lied to Ezra. She is better than him. And she's always held back. But, not to the extent he is now thinking. The only reason she trounced him so throughly is because of her intense training during the past month. In reality, had she not known better, she'd have thought he had been training at least three years. If that trend continued, he'd surpass both her and his master in only a few years.

* * *

The Phantom swings widely as Sabine struggles to dodge. Ezra looses his footing and crashes into the other benches as he tries to sit down. The hull rattles with each blast that makes contact. It rattles a lot.

"Sabine, buildings!" Kanan says, as she heads down low into the surrounding city.

"I know." Sabine snaps. She turns the Phantom sideways, to go down a side street. The undercarriage momentarily hits scraps the side of the building. Two ties pull up steeply to avoid crashing into the walls.

The Phantom shoots up as it exits the last of the buildings, b-lining for the skies. Kanan looks Zeb over, checking for a concussion.

Sabine shoots one of four ties surrounding the Ghost. "Phantom to Ghost! Any chance you can stay still long enough to attach."

"_Given that I want to get out of here as soon as possible? Prett-_" Hera is cut off by a blast landing on the Ghost, jostling the ship. "_I'm not going to be able to stay still._"

"We're going to have to attach mid-maneuver!" Sabine says, gulping in worrying."I don't know if we can."

Ezra chimes in, "It doesn't matter what you can do, all that matter is what you have to do."

"Alright, Specter 2, looks like we're doing this." Sabine says into the com. She sighs to steady herself. The _Ghost_ dodges a barrage of blasts. Sabine lines up with the _Ghost_, "On your six, Ghost."

"_Copy that, Specter 5_." Hera says. "_Look out!_" A tie blasts come out of no where.

The _Ghost_ dodges to the right. The _Phantom_ dodges sharply to the left. "Karablast!" Ezra says, rubbing his head. The _Ghost_ and the _Phantom_ weave around each other dodging the the various Ties. "Just do it Sabine!" Ezra yells.

"If I could, I would. But if I land now we risk damaging the _Phantom_!" Sabine yells.

"And if we say here it _WILL_ be damage and it may be destroyed. Along with us!" Ezra yells.

"Specter 6's right. Do it, Specter 5!" Kanan orders, looking up.

Sabine sighs, "Let's do this."

The _Phantom_ dodges three Ties, managing to come behind the _Ghost_ at a slight angle. It is the best they'll get, "Coming in, Specter 2."

"_Acknowledged._" Hera says over her com. Kanan, Zeb, and Ezra strap in to the seats. This is going to be ruff.

They connect with a slam. Ezra's head slams into the wall. Zeb and Kanan jerk hard against the harness. Kanan is sure that is going to bruise. Ezra thinks he heard the sound of metal breaking and bending.

The _Ghost_ spins, knocking the crew around. "We're attached." Sabine yells.

"_Acknowledged_!" Hera yells, blasting into orbit. "_Engaging Hyperdrive_."

The familiar lights blur across the window. Everyone lets out of sigh of relief.

Ezra chuckles, "Living the dream." Everyone groans. Chopper goes over and zaps him.

Ezra chuckles, again, "So, how long until we can turn the Phantom and get out of here?"

**Thank You Time! Thank you, SWFangirl, Paint the Wolf, Midnight Luna, Me, and Ichichi05 for reviewing! Thank you Iamtuyetminh176 for favoriting and following. Thank you Chiibe The Rebel for following.**

**I have know clue how Kanan will react. I hope it is not pig-headed and ****awkward to watch where we know Kanan is being an idiot. I hate when they do that in any form of media.**

**Question Time: What was your reaction to the Darth Vader/ Luke scene in Episode V?**

**Please review.**


	21. Chapter 20: Callali

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Apparently between the Sunday after my last update and yesterday, no one read any of my work. It was interesting to see the view graph. So, that worried me. I want to apologize for the length of this chapter. I was writing it and found the perfect stopping point and I couldn't really expand it without sacrificing the feeling I wanted for the chapter. But, that caused this to be my shortest chapter. So any who, ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! MOUSE FOR 2016!**** I apologize for errors, delays, and author's notes that are longer than the chapter.**

* * *

"_How are things going back there?"_ Hera's voice enters the _Phantom_ via Ezra's com.

"You mean besides the internal com being out, the door auto locking on me and I am pretty sure steering is whonked beyond anything resembling normal steering." Ezra fires back from the bowels of the _Phantom_. As he reaches for a wrench, he notices his sleeve. Its hem is far enough for five centimeter of his forearm to be visible. Granted, it was his right hand and therefore his shorter non-metal-arm-covering glove. Still, that means that the suit is getting small. Small suit means the suit is in danger of ripping. He'll need to let out the seams soon.

Ezra sighs as he remembers that he already let out the seams before he joined the crew. That had been a while and given that he is actually eating regularly, Ezra realizes he shouldn't be surprised that he has grown. No wonder his bones had been sore for a while. Ezra had actual been growing. Had the timing been better, Ezra would have laughed for joy.

Maybe he could squeeze another centimeter out of the seam. Even while being apart of the larger rebellion, having enough credits to keep this bird flying was tough especially with the arm and leg that it is going to cost for all these repairs. Ezra doesn't want to put that burden on Kanan and Hera, even if his feet are exceedingly sore at the end of any day due to his shoes being to small. Too bad they'd notice a duck tape shoe expansion. Then again, duck tape shoe expansions do severely hurt the shoes ability to protect the toes.

_"Ezra?_" Hera says, again.

"Sorry." Ezra says, shaking away his thought. His wardrobe problems can wait until everything is repaired. "I'm also sure that there has been a lot of damage on the exterior, that I obviously can't get to right now." Ezra goes to check the sleeves hem and judge what he'll have to do. If he has to, he can probably get enough cloth to make extensions to the sleeve and pants. Well, if Sabine is willing to part with an old paint rag. He'd rather not use his blanket as it barely covers him anymore, having had to use it for fabric scraps before he met the crew and his new increasing height.

But, as he feels the cloth, he realizes his jumpsuit is in a worse state than he thought. The fabric has thinned, like a lot. As in, one wrong tug and the fabric will shred. Which is rather impressive when Ezra thinks about it. This was a flight suit, which is meant to be more durable most clothes. The seams Ezra put in last time he let out the hem is probably the strongest part of the suit right now. With that, there is absolutely nothing he can do to the to save the suit. Its days are officially numbered, and there are no tricks Ezra can use to save it this time.

_"I'm sure. Which is why we are stopping at Callali. The fuel line is leaking and we won't make it back the rebel base."_ Hera says.

"Isn't there a large Imperial presence there?" Ezra recalls.

_"As well as a large Rebel presence." _Hera informs him. "_It's a trade world, centrally located in the mid-rim. A lot of people and goods pass through the planet on an hourly basis and it never stops. Though, some merchants can make a killing off the Empire, most merchants aren't so keen on the Empire's trade sanctions. Even fewer are keen on the Empire using its 'discount' on their wares... How do you even know about the Imperial presence?"_

"Godmother lives there, remember." Ezra says, trying not to think of that day in Ward 4. Honestly, Hera hadn't remembered. She had been so focused on the fact that his sister cut off his hand and most of his forearm she hadn't retained much else. "Tseebo was supposed to get me to her. When he didn't, I consider smuggling myself there for a while. Dropped the idea, after a mix of realizing the chance of her recognizing me, found out about the trooper presence, and the dangers of trying to get there. It wasn't worth the risk."

_"Oh,"_ Hera says, slightly uncomfortable. _"Maybe you'll find your godmother."_

"Wouldn't know it if I did. I have no clue, what she looks like, what she does, or even her real name. Mom always refereed to her as Tammy." Ezra says.

_"Oh,"_ Hera says. Ezra could swear he heard... slight relief... in it. Ezra shrugs it off. Why would Hera be relieved about him not meeting someone who knew his parents? Hera wouldn't lie to him, especially when it came to information about his parents...

Ezra is hit with a wave of guilt. He is breaking the number two taken rule, which is barely ranked below rule number one: don't kriff your fellow takens over. If you find anything about a taken's family, you tell that taken no matter what, be it tribal differences or personal vendettas. Well, he couldn't exactly tell Talia that the last letters of her name that they had been unable to decipher made her last name "Syndulla". But, he could tell Hera. But, what would that do? The Wind Cell is already doing everything they can to find her and take down the trappers. It would only hurt and cause stress for Hera. Ezra sighs. That doesn't stop him from feeling guilty.

"Any word on when someone can fix the lock so I can get out of here." Ezra glances at the door. He could unlock it, easily, but the _Phantom_ is already damaged enough without him taking out everything in that area to gain access to the controls. It would be far simpler to do on the other side.

_"Sorry, Kanan is still helping Zeb with that concussion. Sabine is repairing Chopper. And I have to fix the fuel line or we won't even make it to Callali... Once we land we probably won't be able to take off until we make the needed repairs."_ Hera says. The _Ghost_ really took a beating.

"No worries. I still have a lot of repairs to do in here." Ezra says. "We are getting really good at dealing with concussions, aren't we?"

_"Ezra,"_ Hera warns.

"Right. To soon." Ezra says.

Thirty minutes, a frustrating lack of progression on the steering of the _Phantom_ and finding thirty plus more repairs needed to be made before the _Phantom_ could be used again, Hera's voice coms through the com, again. _"Approaching the Callali system. Everyone strap in."_ Ezra pops up out of the deck and straps himself into the pilot's seat. It will probably be the only time he'll sit there, Ezra acknowledges. After all, everyone else has a lot more flying experience under their belt and they didn't have time to train another pilot when they already have several good reliable ones.

After a few minutes, Hera's voice comes over the com again, _"Ezra?"_

"In." Ezra says.

Hera smiles, glances at her team in the cockpit. It had been a rough mission but they made it out. They are not out of the woods yet, but the active part of the mission is over. They come out of hyperspace. Hera notices the Phantom detach light goes off. Something large tumbles across the windshield, fast. The light must have been a false alarm. Hera checks the scanners, trying to figure out if they exited into a meteor shower.

A moment later, Ezra's voice comes through her com. _"HERRAAAA!"_

* * *

It takes Ezra half a moment to realize he is upside down, then not, then upside down. It takes another quarter of a second to realize, he isn't attached to the _Ghost_.

He has never activated his com that quickly. "HERRAAAA!" His hands take the steering wheel. "THE PHANTOM NOT ATTACHED ANYMORE!" It takes one turn of the steering wheel for Ezra to remember the steering is off.

_"Hold on,"_ Hera says.

"You're lucky I'm too terrified to snark on that." Ezra says, as he tries to stop the tumbling. Ezra maybe terrified, but that doesn't make him loose his head. He holds the wheel steady. That shows him how bad steering is, as it isn't resisting him holding it straight despite the constantly changes direction. Ezra starts checking various buttons for something to help, to see what he has available to him. "Thrusters are out. Steering's limited. Sensors, out."

* * *

_"Is there anything not out?_" Hera says, looking at a panicking Kanan. She holds out her hand, motioning for him to stop. Kanan breathes but it's clear that it doesn't calm him down.

* * *

Ezra presses one more button.

* * *

Ezra's voice resonates through the still cockpit, _"Yeah, windshield wipers."_ Kanan face-palms.

"Anything useful?" Hera says.

* * *

"No, not that I can find." Ezra says. Ezra manages to see enough through the tumbling to see he is heading toward Callali Prime's inhabited moon. "I'm heading towards the moon! Kanan, any chance I could get some Force help in stabilizing!"

Hera turns to Kanan, who is already focusing. _"He's trying. Anything?"_

Ezra takes a moment. "No. I'll give it a shot but I am going have to go quiet for a while. I need to focus. But whether or not I can, I am not going to be able to avoid crashing into that moon."

_"We'll be there as quickly as we can."_ Hera says, turning the ship to follow the youngest member of her crew.

"No, Hera. Tracker's down. And I'm already out of site, aren't I?" Hera doesn't answer, triple checking the _Phantom_'s beacon, nothing. "It will take hours to find me, even with the com and that's time the _Ghost _doesn't have. You said it yourself; the _Ghost_ won't be able to take off once it lands. You come after me and everyone could get stranded. If there are no repair shops near where I crash, the _Ghost_ may be down for months. I'll be fine." Ezra says. "I need quite, guys." He turns down the com. Then, he gulps. He doesn't add that with the impact that is likely to occur if he can't get this tumbling to stop, it probably won't matter if they are there in a few hour or a few days.

The _Phantom_'s tumbling slows as it enters the atmosphere, and with Ezra's help, slows even more. But, his relief is short lived, as he realizes he is heading straight for a large city.

* * *

A woman sighs as she leans against her balcony in her pajamas and rob, looking over the city about a fifty kilometers away. Something had tugged her awake and out to her balcony. Not that she minded. It is a beautiful summer night, with just enough of a chill to be refreshing. She is as content as she always is when she returns to her home. Away from the hustle and bustle of Calalli's capital. This is where her family was always centered. This is even where Miranda's son had been born.

Her intuition, or what Miranda called her mild Force-sensitivity, tugs her head up. She spies something large in the sky. She squints. A meteor?

* * *

Ezra has stopped the tumbling, but he is far less concerned with his well being now. If he doesn't control this piece of junk, a lot of people are going to be hurt. Ezra focus harder, moving the steering wheel as far as it can go, trying to point the ship into a deserted field. He opens his mind to the Force. Its music fills his ears. He feels it move around the _Phantom_. He reaches out it and gently tugs it in the direction he wants. If he pulls to hard, he'll start tumbling again. Not hard enough and he won't move the _Phantom_. It is a balancing act with lives in the balance.

* * *

The woman sees the object better as it gets closer. "A ship?" Then, she realizes it is going way too fast for it to be landing properly. It's going to crash! In to Calaver! It's a vacation city, FILLED with civilians. She needed to mobilize the emergency personnel. She sees it turn. She pauses, it turns more. The woman gasps, must be some pilot. It is heading to a deserted area now. It streaks across the sky, landing not that far. In fact, if she is not mistaken, he crashes on her property. "The Pilot!" The woman yells. She spins around, rushing through the large double glass doors.

* * *

Ezra is focused. He is heading to the field. Relief fills him. But he tries to stay focused, trying to slow the ship. He has no clue if it is working. The crash doesn't slow down for him, instead feeling impossibly fast. A jerk one way, a flip the other, pain coming from one side, then the other. He can't even pinpoint when darkness over takes him.

* * *

The woman jumps out of the speeder as she reaches the crash sight. She gulps as she first sees it in her headlights. She reaches over and grabs a flashlight from the glove box. There is a large misshapen crater, where the ship first impacted. But it didn't stop there. It cartwheeled at least three times, losing piece and digging an additional crater with each flip. A few small fires are scattered across the site "HELLO!" She calls, grabbing a fire extinguisher from the trunk. "Whose dead? Raise your hand?!" She extinguishes the fires. She shines her flashlight over the piece.

"...Zra.." A static filled voice fills the still air. The woman rushes towards it. Her flashlight beams over a small out of date com and then a few feet away a boy who couldn't be more than fifteen, his black hair is cake with dirt and a small amount of blood. His arm is pinned under a large piece of the hull.

She runs over to him and heaves the piece off, no doubt due to adrenaline. The boy groans. His eyes blink open. The woman's eyes widen. Those are Miranda's eyes. And the boy! Seeing him closer, it is startling how much he looks like a young clonetrooper. Maybe a little skinnier and his features a little softer, but the resembles is there. It couldn't be... Ezra? Ezra Akatsukin? His eyes are barely open for a moment.

"...Ezra..." The com buzzes again. The same male voice coming through.

The woman takes the com, "Hello?"

The man says, almost immediately, "Who is this? Is Ezra okay?"

"Ezra? As in Ezra Bridger?" The woman asks.

"Who. Are. You?" The man's voice grunts clearly worried. The woman knew this reaction. It is the reaction of catching someone off guard with correct information.

The woman smiles, "Tamara. Tamara DeLune."

* * *

**Thank You Time! Thank you Fluffycotton92, Midnight Luna, Paint the Wolf, and Ichichi05 for reviewing. Your reviews always bring a smile to my face. Thank you to the staff of Favorite star wars rebels for adding Ner Vod to your archives. Thank you Trypy for following and favoriting Ner Vod. Thank you Taylor Fireheart for favoriting, following, and reviewing. You all make me so happy.**

**I honestly can't remember what my reaction to Darth Vader/Luke scene was. I know I was about eleven and so my story prediction ability hadn't been as developed, so I might have been surprised. But, I may have had it spoiled for me.**

**Question Time: How do you think I come up with my OCs' names? (Hint: I have four different systems)**


	22. Chapter 21: Tamara

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Sorry, AngetianPrincess18, for missing you in last week's thank yous. I just missed. Sorry. Paint, glad to see you got a profile. Your story looks interesting. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! IT IS OWNED BY THE MOUSE WHOSE THEME PARK IS CELEBRATING ITS 60****TH!****!**** I apologize for errors, delays and long-winded author's notes.**

* * *

Ezra groans. What did he do this time? His right shoulder hurts like heck. Still, his bed has never been this soft.

Wait a minute.

He had been on the _Phantom_. It detached. Where is he? Ezra has enough sense not to jerk up. He slowly opens his eyes. He leans heavily on his mechanical hand to sit up, despite the slight pain coming from where it attaches. He couldn't use the other arm, as it is trapped in a sling.

He is in a large bedroom. The bed is huge, the largest he has ever seen. If he had to describe the room in a word, light. The walls are a light blue. All the linens are white. The "wall" in front of him is nearly all windows, and nearly all of those are open. A gentle wind floats in, gently lifting the sheer curtains.

There is a creak. Ezra's head snaps to the source of the strange sound. A woman stand in the doorway, holding open a manual wooden door. A wooden door. How weird. The woman smiles.

The woman is blonde, probably from a bottle at one point, given the barely visibly brown undertone and some grey streaks. She didn't look older than late forties, but something told Ezra she was older than that. "I'm glad your up. Lunch is almost ready." Ezra eyes her, wearily. The woman smiles, amusement flashing in her eyes. "That was one heck of a crash you were in. Lucky too. You only got a little, or a lot, banged up on top of that dislocated shoulder, which has been treated" Ezra stays silent, clearly uneasy. He reaches out with the Force to test her intentions. She flinches as he does so, more surprised than anything else, relaxing after a second.

He feels no danger. But, who is she?

"My name is Tamara DeLune." The woman says, gently, kindly.

"I am..." Ezra freezes. He can't give his name. And he certainly can't use Dev Morgan.

"Ezra Bridger, I know." The woman... Tamara... says. Ezra looks at her surprised.

"Don't look so surprised. I saw your crash. Your Captain... Jarrus... was trying to contact you through your com. After a quick chat, I convinced him to go get the ship repaired and that you can stay here during that time."

"Why?" Ezra asks

"You're in no condition to travel, even if you were lucky." Tamara says. "Besides, a single act of kindness can fill the galaxy with hope."

"A Jedi saying?" Ezra realizes.

"Wow, for one so young to know a Jedi saying. How unusual..." Tamara raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, I heard strange tales during my travels." Ezra covers.

"I'll bet." Tamara smiles, knowingly. Then, she gestures to neatly fold clothes on a nearby chair. "You should change. Lunch will be ready soon. We tried to wash your jumpsuit... It committed suicide before the washing machine filled with water."

Ezra jerks up, "My holo-disk!"

Tamara taps a white wooden side table. His holo-disk, his com and a hated and familiar looking brown bottle are there. "Do you think I am stupid enough to not check the pockets? Well, Warden remembered..." After a moment she adds, "You probably won't be able to contact your crew. The planet proper is just out of range for hand coms. Also, the doctor says that because your mechanical arm tore a bit, you are back on this regiment for a few days." Tamara taps the brown bottle. Ezra groans, it felt like he just got off it.

"I'll let you get changed." Tamara steps out of the room, closing the door behind her. Ezra sighs, getting up using his left arm. He notices he is in a grey T-shirt and some soft pants, both of which are a little big for him but not overly so. His various small cuts have been treated and bandaged. He licks his lips, a split upper lip too. He runs his hand over his face, a cut on his forehead with a bandage. Overall, he'd been really lucky. Ezra sighs.

Should he trust her? He didn't even know her. She wasn't lying about the crew. But, why would Kanan risk trusting her? For the life of him, Ezra couldn't sense a malicious thing off her. But... He's had gotten help from strangers before and it didn't go well. Ezra shifts the collar of the T-shirt to see the top of the scar Hands had inflicted on him. He'd been eight. At the same time, strangers have helped him and it has gone really good. The crew is evidence of that. He looks at the clothes on the chair, a shirt and jeans. For going the challenge of change his shirt with the sling, he pulls on the jeans.

He walks over to the window. He is met with a view of blue water lapping against white sand under the blue of an unpolluted sky and the beautiful planet of Callili held there like a jewel.

* * *

Tamara is actually really cool. After lunch, she insisted on showing him around the area. She takes him to a town on the edge of the local lake. Ezra has never seen anything quite like it. The streets were paved with a patchwork of smooth stones. The buildings are wood and stones that are red or white rectangles. The shape of the buildings are rectangular with slopped roofs that had scale-like thinds on them. Most of the buildings on Lothal are composed with steel and material made out of treated dried grasses. So seeing this is very strange.

Ezra, actually, goes up to the red rectangles and touches them, out of curiosity. They turned out to be very rough. "It's brick," Tamara says, from behind him. He scratches the back of his head. "It isn't used much anymore, but there is a certain charm about them that can't be replicated." Tamara smiles. There were carts pulled by large animals along side speeders. Ezra can't help but ogle every little thing, from the intricate woodcarvings on the sides of doorways to people hand needing dough in the window of the bakery.

"Slow down, Ezra. You were in a crash this morning." Tamara says, every time he rushes ahead before hurrying to catch up with him. Ezra paused at an open stall-like building. A small group of kids had also gathered around it. There are plenty of tools in the stall-like building, but for once Ezra can't name most of them. Inside, an old man is carving a large piece of wood with a teenager, not much older Ezra, getting various tools as needed. Now, Ezra knew a little about whittling. It's how he made his, Talia and Orin necklaces. But, the detail they were putting in the piece is incredible. But, for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why they were putting so much time into it.

He watched for a good twenty minutes before the old man gesture the boy over and showed the boy a particular carving or something. Then, the old man handed the boy the tools and the boy did it a few times before looking up at the old man. The old man pats the boy on the shoulder with a laugh. Ezra smiles, it was just like him and Kanan after he finally gets a new form down after months of work.

Ezra glances around to find Tamara. She is talking to about five different adults. He walks over to them. He catches the tail end of what Tamara is saying, "-erstand. I will send an inspector come Monday. Enjoy you vacation." Tamara says and though she smiles, she sounds very concerned. Some of the group smiles in return before taking leave. Tamara smiles Ezra, "How about we get some of the best ice cream in the mid-rim. What's your favorite flavor?"

"Don't know. Haven't had it in years." Ezra asks and laughs at Tamara's horrified face.

Lully Luna's ice cream is one of the great wonders of the Galaxy, Ezra decide licking the chocolate infused with a slightly sour red berry jam in a giant waffle cone. There is the under water cities of Naboo. The Mountains of Alderaan. Corrielian Nebula. And Lully Luna's handcrafted ice cream. Ezra doesn't even care that he looks ridiculous as he savers every lick, at least Tamara is amused. "Ezra, you have a little... on your on your cheek." She points to her cheek. Now, Ezra could have easily used a napkin. Tamara grabbed like fifty of them. But, that would mean wasting perfectly good (amazing) ice cream. And a taken never wastes anything. Ezra proceeds to try and lick it off. Most people would have found that a little gross. But, Tamara isn't most people; she bursts into a hard laugh as Ezra tries again and again to reach the ice cream. Ezra blushes slightly, but doesn't stop. He will get that ice cream.

"Ezra... Ezra... Mi-Ezra..." Tamara says between laughs. "Stop. You physically can't reach it." Ezra huffs, before taking a napkin. Tamara smiles, taking a sip of her float. She looks down. Ezra is confused as to why he suddenly senses a bit of sadness and longing. "You remind me of a friend of mine." Ezra stays quite, knowing that's sometimes all he needs to be. "She absolutely adored ice cream, especially that type. When she was pregnant, she'd ask me to bring it to her by the gallon. It was a rare treat for her before, so whenever she got it she would try to get ever last drop of it. I can't tell you how many times she tried to do what you just did. You are a lot like her."

Ezra is afraid to ask, but can't stop himself, "What happened to her?" In these times, so many things could have happened to her.

Tamara touches her circular pendent. Then, she looks at him in the eye and says the worst thing he can imagine, "I honestly don't know."

Ezra sighs, looking away, "I'm sorry. I know how that feels, a friend of mine recently got into trouble and I don't know if she's okay or not."

Tamara takes his hand, "Hey, she's alive, right? Your friend?" Ezra nods. "I know, it hard to believe, and I know there are worse things than death, but at least you know she's alive."

"I know, nothing's worse than not knowing if they are alive or gone." Ezra sighs, thinking about his parents and the years after they were taken when he still held hope that they were alive. But, then he starts thinking of Sunny, "Well, almost nothing."

Tamara squeezes his hand tighter. "Ezra..." She says, before noticing his hand. "Your ice cream's melting."

"Oh, Kara- man," Ezra says, trying to lick up the ice cream, as Tamara laughed. Not long after, they finished up and Tamara shoved the remaining napkins in her purse.

* * *

Tamara is busy. Like insanely how-do-you-find-to-time-breath busy. Ezra finds out, on the second day that he is there, that Tamara is up before dawn. He supposes it's natural. She is important if the size of her mansion of a house and everyone in the small town of Roza coming to talk to her is any indication. He walks into the rather large garden at 5 am, waiting for the house to wake up and to get a chance to practice or at the very least meditate. And meditating outside is always very nice, especially at dawn. How was it dawn anyway? They were on the moon, Peon, but the day night cycle is close to a standard day.

Her gardens are really nice. There are a lot of floral beds of brightly colored flowers he can't hope of identifying. Various types of green grass and bushes are weaved in between the flowers. Ezra pauses at a familiar purple flower. He kneels down. Lavanda. Sunny's favorite flower. He gently touches the flower with his fingertips. "Ezra?" Tamara's voice startles him.

Ezra jumps up. He spins around to see Tamara on a marble bench, surrounded by various datapads. "Tamara?"

"Enjoying the gardens?" Tamara smiles. "My friend's daughter adored lavanda, too." She touches he pendant, again

"Y-Yeah..." Ezra says, nervous.

"No need to be nervous. You are a guest here." Tamara sets down her current datapad. "I like to do my work out here, at least until I have to go to my office to use the holo-com to contact Callili."

"Why so early?" Ezra asks.

"I have too much work to do to not be up this early. It's worse when I am not on vacation." Tamara smiles.

"You're on vacation?" Ezra says.

Tamara nods, "Oh yes. I live in an apartment in the capital most of the time. I come here as often as I can, though. I'd be retired here if I could. I'm fifty-six years old though, so a little young to retire. How about we get breakfast?"

Ezra nods, without delay. He notices Tamara vanish into her office for hours at a time, coming out only for a lunch and dinner and around or two of dejarik. Ezra asked her protocol droid, Warden, if this was normal. He answer no. Normally, she took meals in her office.

* * *

Tamara is lonely. Ezra realized this on his third day. Even as busy as she is, she takes time to be with him. Today, they went for a walk around the beach. She laughed with him and always answered his questions with patience. "How come the day night cycle is so close to the standard day if we are on a moon?" Ezra asks.

Tamara smiles. "Well, Peon is unusually large when compared to Callili. That's not to say Peon is large. But, it is enough that we always have some sunlight hitting us directly and we also get the reflected light from Callili. Peon is unusual in the fact that its face isn't locked. It spins along its axis about once ever standard day."

Ezra also notices her droids have more personality than most later that day. The protocol droid, Cookie, that cooks is very much a drama queen when it comes to his food and it often takes severally minutes of reassurance from Tamara that his food was good enough for consumption for him stop his frantic... Ezra knows it's not sobbing, but that's the closest word he can come up with. Ezra makes the mistake of complementing the droid, which turned him into a stuttering mess and causes Tamara to fall off her chair from laughing so much. With a jolt of surprise, Ezra realizes he feels something, something faint, something barely there but there none than less, coming from the droid. But, that wasn't possible. A droid can't have a Force signature. The protocol droid that acts as her secretary comes in, and Ezra once again feels something faint from this protocol droid. "This is hardly how a person of your position should act!" The droid scolds his mistress, then hands her three datapad. "Security Clearence 491, Investigation Order for the power facility, Shipment Conformation for the blas-"

"Got it, Warden!" Tamara cuts him off quickly, signing the three even quicker. "Take the Shipment one to the Vault got it." She shoves them back into his hands. Ezra hasn't seen her this cross at her droids before. Normally, she treats them well like friends.

After both leave, Ezra can't help but asks, "Your droids, they have quite the personality..."

"I cut out the personality suppressor." Tamara says, without thinking.

"Isn't that illegal?" Ezra asks.

"Yes." Tamara says. "Ezra, just because something is legal, is it automatically right?"

"No." Ezra says. Even without the Empire, that wasn't true.

"Good man." Tamara smiles. "What is the difference between a droid and a human or a twi'lek or togurta or lasat? We, ourselves, have circuits and a computer powering them. We need fuel. The only difference between us is the ability to choose. Who am I to deny a fellow sentient that right?"

Ezra can't fault her logic. Thinking of Chopper, as much of a pain as he is, he is as much a part of he crew as anyone else and the thought of him being force to do anything against his will made Ezra as mad as it would if it were any other member of the crew. "I think our astromech fried his." Tamara is on the floor laughing, again. Ezra can't fault her logic, but he also can't help but feel that this attitude came just as much from a desire for companionship, as it did from a desire for equality.

* * *

Tamara is one heck of a shot. He found this out on his fifth day. Ezra is meditating in his room, when he senses Tamara near, her Force signature being the brightest on the grounds. He comes out of his meditation just as she knocks. Ezra hops off the bed and open the door with his left hand. He can't wait to get his arm out of the sling. Not that having Cookie help him get dressed wasn't fun, but... No, yeah. It wasn't fun

"Hey, sleepy-head!" Tamara smiles. "I am going to enjoy the outside. Want to come?"

"It's what? 2300?" Ezra says.

"You're still up." Tamara smirks, then proceeds to drag Ezra outside. Ezra will admit it's beautiful. They are just far enough from any major light source that the stars were out in full brightness. Unlike Lothal, which has a strong band of stars that can only be seen half the year, Calilli has a weaker band that according to Tamara can be seen through out the year. Frankly though, he hasn't seen the stars clearly on Lothal in years, the pollution is too strong.

Tamara takes him out to a section of lawn with short green grass. The droids were already sitting on a bench "Cookie, got the fire extinguisher?"

"Uh... Was I supposed to get that?" Cookie stutters. Tamara face-palms. Warden holds up the big red thing.

"Thank you, Warden." Tamara says. Then, in an over-dramatic stage voice, she says, "Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, may I proudly present Tammy's Trick Shot Extravaganza! And the crowd goes wild!" Ezra and the droids clap as Ezra begins to laugh. "Thank you! Thank you! Now, for my first trick, I will need my lovely assistant, Warden!" Warden groans getting up. "Sorry fellas, I couldn't get Warden into the pink tutu!" Ezra chuckles.

"That's because it looked ridiculous!" Warden shouts. Ezra almost falls over from laughing.

"My lovely, shirtless, assistant will throw these bottle caps into the air at forty paces and I will blast each one." Tamara says. Tamara walks forty steps away. "Let's start this nice and easy, one!" Warden tosses it into the air. Tamara's blast glows across the sky, missing the barely visible bottle cap. "Oh, I think I need to warm up a bit." Tamara says, "This little drill is something I like to call One, Two, Three. It is as simple as one," Warden tosses one, quickly. Tamara nails it. "Two." Warden tosses two. She nails both. "Three." Tamara nails the three bottle caps in the air. Ezra claps, getting six shots off in under thirty seconds was pretty impressive. "Let's make this a little more interesting. Warden, six." Tamara shoots the six bottle caps. "Well, six clearly wasn't hard enough. Should we try for seven?"

"Sure." Ezra laughs.

"Don't know. Maybe that won't be hard enough. How bout nine? Nine's my lucky number." Tamara says. "Warden." She nails each one and everything they throw at her after that.

* * *

Tamara had a daughter. It is a rainy day and Tamara had taken Ezra to the library to play a round of sab'aac (betting cookies, of course). That had been beyond interesting as every time Tamara has a good hand, Ezra feels a spike in her Force signature. Accidentally! He hasn't learned how not to sense stuff yet. And whenever Ezra has a good hand, Tamara seems to know. As a result, there are a lot of folds and only a few cookies swapped each round. But, eventually, Tamara leaves to get more cookies, when they both ate their piles. Ezra, per chance, looks out the window. He sees a holo on a table near the window. He hasn't seen any holos anywhere yet, so he is obviously curious. He goes over to the holo. It's of a little toe-head girl, maybe one, smiling in a young Tamara's arms.

"Her name's Zara." Tamara's voice startles him. He turns to her. Tamara is sad. He senses a deep longing. She side steps to the photo. "She's my daughter."

"Where is she?" Ezra asks.

"Ezra..." Tamara sighs. Ezra immediately knows to back up from this topic. However, Tamara continues. "I suppose you of all people have a right know." Ezra has no clue what she means. "The way things were... It was not right. It was not wrong. It just was. I can understand where they came from, now. But, for a long time, I didn't. I was angry at them for taking my baby away. They did it so she could face her destiny, just as they did with each member of the Order. Do I disagree with it even now? Yes. But, it was what everyone thought was for the best. They didn't know better. After all, they were taken from their parent, as well."

"Who took her?" Ezra asks, confused. Who would take a child from a mother as caring as Tamara?

"You are to young to know about any of this, but the ones who took her were the Jedi Order." Tamara says. It takes all Ezra's will power for his jaw not to drop.

"No...They couldn't have..." Ezra says, his gut twisting in on itself.

"I am glad that you don't believe the lies spun by the Empire, however it was." Tamara looks out the window. Rain beats against the glass. "You see a Jedi's life is hard. You have to give up a lot. Your life isn't yours. You couldn't form attachment. Even the amount of possession you had was limited. Many, if not all, believed that if you weren't raised in the life style, you could not live it. As such, children who could become Jedi were taken and raised on Coruscant. The oldest a child could be to enter the Order was two." Ezra can't help thinking of Kanan. Even him? Then, he thinks of himself. Had the Empire not taken over, would he have been taken away?

"Amazingly, I actually did get to meet her when she was fourteen... She'd be thirty-four..." Tamara continues, smiling fondly. "She thought more with her head than her heart than was health. But, that was normal for most Jedi. A Jedi must control their emotions, lest they be controlled by them. Yet, most Jedi, as the Republic ended, confused 'control' with 'eliminate'. Not healthy or effective."

"You make the Jedi sound bad..." Ezra sighs, looking out the window.

Tamara turns him to her. "That was not my intention. The Jedi, with as much misgivings and disagreements as I have had about them, were good. A little lost, but they were good. And they raised my daughter to think of others first, to be kind, to be courageous. She fought in so many battles during the Clone Wars, saved so many lives. And that made her happy. Being a Jedi made her happy. I couldn't ask for more. The Jedi were just a little lost, like everyone was. Now, it's up to the next generation of Jedi to bring them back on the right track."

"The next generation?" Ezra asks, startled. She couldn't possibly...

"As long as the Force lives in us, both the Jedi and the Sith will return... The Dark side will always clash with the Light side..."

"The Force?" Ezra is surprised she knows that.

Tamara smiles, "It binds the galaxy together. It breathes, and we exhale. It isn't conscious, but it leads us. How strange..."

Ezra looks out the window, thinking of his own family. Must the Dark and Light sides always clash?

* * *

It was on his eighth and final day there that he learned the most important thing about Tamara.

Ezra smiles. It is almost time for dinner. So, Ezra decides to fetch Tamara. She'd been so busy today that he hasn't seen her at all. Even breakfast and lunch were skipped and he is not letting her skip another meal. Plus, he couldn't wait to show her that the doctor gave the okay for the sling to come off.

He arrives at her office. Knock, but goes in without stopping. Tamara doesn't mind and even said to come get her because she may need rescuing from the idiots she works with.

Ezra freezes.

"Governor DeLune, you are being completely unreasonable." The man said, through a hologram. He is dressed in an imperial uniform.

"If your version of reasonable is destruction of civilian property vital to this world's economy in search for something that, given the minuscule amount of evidence you have presented, I remain unconvinced is on Callili System, let alone on Callili itself, then I have no desire to fit your idea of reasonable. Should you have more evidence, I will be more than happy to hear it." Tamara glares at the holographic imperial officer.

"You forget how insecure your position is, Governor DeLune." The man scowls.

"And you overestimate yours, in the Empire and in my life." Tamara says, in a fiery voice. "My 1900 is here. Good-bye, Commander Cornson. Captain Wilno's search will not be allowed."

"But, we haven't even discussed the tax exemption on imperial goods." Commander Cornson protests.

"Perhaps you shouldn't have wasted my time with insisting I sanction their search." Tamara almost growls.

"Governor DeLune, you miss understand." The man insists.

"Then, send it to me as I have another appointment." Tamara cuts off the feed. Then she turns to Ezra. "Ezra, you got your sling off." Tamara smiles. "Wait. The doctor okayed that, right?"

Ezra can only nod. Tamara is an imperial.

* * *

**For those of you who don't like Warden and Cookie developing a presence in the Force, there was a droid in the EU who did in fact develop a Force presence. I can't remember what it was called but it was there.**

**Thank You Time! Thank you Specter14 and AngetianPrincess18 for following. Sorry about missing you, AngetianPrincess18, last week. Thank you xEPICxBULLSEYEx and Midnight Luna for reviewing. Midnight Luna, I am curious how you don't like me bring OCs from Ezra's childhood when nearly all my OCs are from Ezra's childhood, like Talia who you mentioned was your favorite when I asked which OC was your favorite. And Tamara probably has the least to do with Ezra's childhood, with exception of the Phoenix squad. Thank you Paint the Fangirling Wolf for favoriting and reviewing. Did this chapter get you fangirling?**

**And no, I did not get Talia's name from a Star Wars name generator. But I am faltered you think I did.**

**No, I use several different systems:**

**I pick a name I like. Examples: Talia, Orin, Ariadne, Tamara, Vivi. Though Talia may have had something with me reading a lot on Batman at the time.**

**They are plot driven names. Example: D, Talia's last name, Sage (I tried to use the name of the leader of Phoenix Cell and missed.), Rodi, Caleb.**

**I pick them based off meaning. Example: The remaining Wind Cell. Chance.**

**I take a Japanese word and modify it slightly. Example: Akatsukin and Sorayu**

**I choose them by randomly typing things that sound like names. Example: Most imperials.**

**Question Time: What was the base word for "Sorayu" and what does it mean?**


	23. Chapter 22: Hide and Seek

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Sorry, this chapter is a little late. I forgot today was Friday. Next week I am not going to be able to update. I am going to be moving back into the dorms. So see you in two weeks. But, I do have good news. I will be coming out with another special on October 14****th**** to celebrate season two coming out. ****I DO NOT OW STAR WARS REBELS! IT IS OWNED BY DISNEY! ****Ah, gosh. I am out of fancy ways to say Disney. I apologize for errors, delays and long-winded author's notes.**

* * *

Dinner is utterly delicious, a type of long noodles with a sauce and some sort of meet. However, for the first time since he lost his parents, Ezra can't even shove food into his stomach. Even when full, he'd eat. A remnant from his time on the streets. He feels awful. He trusted Tamara. He shoves the food across his plate. He had trusted an imperial. He shoves food across his plate. "Ezra," Tamara says from across the table. "Are you alright?"

Ezra can't speak, "Hm?"

Tamara sighs, worry laces through her Force signature. "Are you alright? You've barely touched your meal. And pushing it from side to side does not count." Ezra doesn't speak. Tamara wipes her mouth on her napkin. "If you are worried about Wallernuts being in the sauce, don't. I told Cookie not to put Wallernuts in it because of your allergy."

Ezra stops pushing the pasta around, setting his fork down. He looks at her. "How do you know about that?"

"Oh... Kanan told me." Tamara says quickly. Even if it wasn't blaring in the Force, Ezra knows she is lying. He never told any of the crew about his allergy let alone Kanan, who is the only one of the crew never on kitchen duty.

"You're lying." Ezra says, getting up. He leaves quickly. As soon as the dining room door is closed, he runs. He runs to his room, slamming the door behind him. He replays his time here, trying to find something that he missed, something that makes Tamara a vicious imperial. Why hadn't the Force warned him about the danger? Did... Did Kanan even know he was there?

Well, Kanan at the very least thought he is safe. Their consciousnesses had brushed several times that week. But, does Kanan know Tamara is an imperial?

Ezra brushes against Kanan's mind. He is definitely on the main planet of Callili. Ezra looks up to it.

Ezra looks at the window.

* * *

Tamara sits in her office. She tries to get some work done, she really does. But... What was going on in Ezra's head?

She notices the gem in her ring had changed color. Her com had gone off. Not her normal one, but her secret one.

Tamara opens a drawer then reaches under it, removing the false bottom and pressing a small button. A panel in the inlays on her desk pops open. She removes the panel and activates the com, smiling at the man who appeared. "I was about to call you."

"Is he alright?" The man asked, worriedly.

"He's acting strange. But, there are more pressing matters. The ship is... nowhere near finished. But... How soon will you be ready to leave?" Tamara asks.

"A few days, hopefully." The man says.

"That's not fast enough. The hunters are coming. I've tried to stop their search, however as it is a direct ordered by an Inquisitor, my hands are tied. As it is, I am going to return to Callili tomorrow. Be ready to leave then." Tamara says. A knock comes from the door. Tamara looks up at the door, then back to the com. "Stand by." The hologram vanishes and Tamara covers the com with the panel. She presses the button that unlocks the door. "Enter."

Cookie enters. "Ma'am..." Tamara is immediately on edge. Cookie only calls her that in front of people or delivering bad news. "Master Ezra is gone."

"What?" Tamara says, confused. What Cookie is saying literally doesn't make sense.

"I went to give him something to eat. But, he isn't in his room. The window was open." Cookie's tone is that of a cringe.

"WHAT?!" Tamara shouts. Warden rushes in. "Find him. NOW!" Panic fills Tamara. Tamara slams back down into her chair, unaware of when she stood. She begins pulling up the security holos of the grounds. This could not have come at a worse time.

"Mistress." Now, Warden is being formal. "Captain Wilno is requesting a meeting." Tamara gulps, the Inquisitor has arrived.

* * *

Ezra runs through the streets of the closest major city, Calaver if he isn't mistaken. He had run through the night to get here. And he would also reluctantly admit to swiping a speeder from Tamara's shed. It was old and broke down four fifth of the way there. Most transports to Callili are grounded during this night as this part of Peon is pointed away from the planet at this time. So, now he could only wait and find a ship to stowaway on.

He looks around the corner, checking for stormtroopers. There are two around the corner. Okay, he can't go that way. He turns and groans.

"Kid, isn't it past your bedtime?" A stormtrooper says.

"No... I just got separated from my group." Ezra lies smoothly.

"Then, you won't mind coming with me. We can call your group to come pick you up." The stormtrooper says.

Ezra gulps. Not good. More stormtroopers around the corner and he is alone. His hand clutches into a fist before he attempts a mind trick, "You don't need to take me with you."

"Yeah, I do. Listen, Kid, Governor DeLune has issued-" The stormtrooper stops mid sentence. His hand goes to his com. "Yes, I found him. I was about to bring him-" A moment paused. "What? Ma'am-" Another pause. "Yes, Ma'am. Understood." The trooper sighs, "Alright kid, you've had your fun. Your godmot-" The kid is gone. "Ah, Huttslime."

* * *

Tamara walks through the imperial complex, she gulps back her disgust. An inquisitor would sense it. Keep calm. Tamara enters the chosen office. "Welcome to Peon." Tamara says, putting on a great smile.

"You are late." The young blonde woman in white says, her back to Tamara. "Captain Wilno, Commander Tornac, leave us." The young woman turns to face her. Wilno takes no hesitation, practically dragging Tornac out of the room.

"That's what happens when you call someone at midnight." Tamara does a sharp in take as she realizes the child's age.

"Is there a problem, Governor DeLune?" The fifteen year old asks.

"It's just you are the same age as my godchildren... You look like one of them, too..." Tamara says.

"I have no use for your sob story, Governor." The inquisitor rolls her eyes.

Tamara nods, "It's unusual for someone so young to be ranked so high. You must be quite good, Inquisitor..." The girl's eyes narrow sensing truth from all but the last part.

"I take it you know the Inquisitor selection process." The inquisitor sizes her up, mild surprise barely visible.

"Only what I have heard." Tamara says in a measured voice.

"You must have good ears." The girl says, raising an eyebrow.

"I do not pretend I do not. It is how I got where I am." Tamara says. "I do not see how this has to do with anything. If you presume that I have knowledge on the location of a Jedi on Peon, then I can assure you I have no idea, Inquisitor..."

"I do not believe you to know anything about the Jedi, however," Sonya walks around the desk. "They were not heading to the rebel base, so it stands to reason that they would have to stop some where else, at least according to Master Offee, my superior."

"And she thinks they stopped here. With all due respect for your master, the Imperial presence would surely dissuade them." Tamara argues, once again keeping everything true from a certain point of view.

"Agreed, Callili was just one of the possible trajectories." The girl says, with the upmost confidence.

Tamara pauses, "You mentioned the rebel base. You know were it is?"

"No, not yet. But I've used the trajectories of various rebel jumps to narrow it down somewhat." The girl says.

"That's... That's impressive. I am sure your teachers are proud, Inquisitor..." Tamara says.

"Hardly. No one listens to reason. I doubt my master actually believes I have narrowed it down." She says.

"I can understand that feeling." Tamara says, sympathizing. "Will your search take long, Inquisitor..."

"I can't imagine it would. However, I will be based here or in the capital until my master gives up. I will also be using the local stormtroopers." The inquisitor says.

"You're different from other inquisitors I've met." Tamara notes. They had tried to intimidate her.

"Please, Governor. We both know intimidation would not work on you. You're too used to it. After all, it takes a lot for an illegitimate child to not only become a planetary governor, but to flaunt it with a bastard name. It takes just as much for a woman to become a CEO of one of the largest shipping companies in the Empire. Oh, and let's not forget the incident of you pushing an inquisitor so far that she Force choked you. From the reports, you never flinched through out it." The inquisitor smirks. "You could say you've impressed me."

"I had no information to give, Inquisitor..." Tamara answers. That was a lie, but one she was so used to, that it came out as the truth.

"Right..." The inquisitor says. "Oh, where are my manners. I am Inquisitor Sonya Yon." Tamara does another intake, as realization dawns on her. "What is it, Governor?"

"Nothing. My goddaughter's name was Sonya." Tamara says.

"Curious. I'd love to meet this twin of mine." Sonya says.

"I'm sorry... but she died a long time ago." Tamara says, breathing. For the first time, in a long time she knows that is a lie.

"Pity..." Sonya says, tilting her head. A thought enters her head. It's not possible... Is it?

"Her mother misses her terribly." Tamara says, wishing she could say more.

"I... I must continue my search. Pardon me, Governor." Sonya gestures to the door. "I just wished to inform you of our purpose for commandeering your stormtroopers."

"Understood, Inquisitor Yon." Tamara says, exiting. Tamara sees the startled face of Captain Wilno. She raises an eyebrow, but shakes her head not worth it. She walks away.

Captain Wilno foolishly looks into the office. "Ma-"

"LEAVE! NOW!" Sonya orders in a rare display of pure fury. She has not moved from where she stood when Tamara left. Wilno and Tornac ran down the hall, passing a confused Tamara going for her com.

Sonya slides down to the floor, not even bother to go to the chair. _Her mother misses her very much_. "Liar..." Sonya whispers. But, the words echo and weave through her head. She lets two tears fall. She wants them to be true so much.

* * *

Ezra slips through the streets. "Wait! Kid!" The stormtrooper yells. Like that would happen. Ezra dodges some trashcans and runs around a corner. The stormtrooper follows as closely as he can. He is persistent. Ezra will give the stormtrooper that. Though, with his shoulder just out of the sling it, he couldn't use his normal escape tactics. Not to mention he has no clue about which streets are dead ends and which aren't. So, it wasn't as hard as it normally is to follow him. Ezra needs a plan fast.

Ezra runs a corner. Karablast.

There are ten stormtroopers. "It's one of the rebels!" One of them calls. All their blasters are trained on him. Ezra takes a step back, but he knows he can't run. They begin to circle.

The stormtrooper that had been following him runs around the corner. "There you- What's going on?"

"It's a rebel." One of the stormtroopers in the group says.

"There must be some mistake." The stormtrooper says, "This is Ezra Akai, Governor DeLune's godson." The stormtrooper places a hand on Ezra's shoulder. While he is confused as heck, he knows enough to keep his mouth shut. Namely, this stormtrooper is trying to get him out of trouble.

"We've been fighting with Inquisitor Offee and her apprentice, Inquisitor Yon. The Inquisitors in charge of hunting these rebels." The lead stormtrooper says.

Then a stormtrooper towards the right says, "Yeah, he toppled a tower of crates on to me."

"Sorayu." The lead warns.

"Yes, Governor DeLune mentioned her godson has had issues in the past for looking like a rebel. Isn't that right?" The stormtrooper says.

"Yeah, loads of trouble." Ezra says.

"Be that as it may, I will need to take him in for questioning, unless you have proof otherwise." The lead says.

The stormtrooper takes out a portable holo projector. "As a matter of fact, Governor DeLune sent out his ID to all local stormtrooper when she found him missing." He presses a button and a holo of himself and various information appeared. Ezra wishes he was skilled enough to read it.

The lead looks it over, "Everything seems be in order. However, why was he running? And why was he out so late?"

The stormtrooper aiding Ezra laughs, "You've never been young? He's away from his parents and in Calaver. He was probably sneaking out to a party or nightclub."

"Maybe." Ezra says, in a sheepish voice.

This caused a laugh around the group. "Alright, alright. Get him back to Governor DeLune. Kid, stay low for a few days. We'll be searching the planet for the rebels." The Lead says.

"R...Right, understood." Ezra says, worry building in his chest. The group moves on. The stormtrooper doesn't remove his hand from his shoulder.

As soon as the group is out of earshot, the stormtrooper says, "I don't care what your godmother says. You run again, I will stun you. You've had your fun, worrying Governor DeLune half to death with this stunt. Besides, because of that." He gestures to the direction the group went. "All the nightclubs have been closed and most parties have been broken up."

"Right..." Ezra says, worrying he just went into the fire.

"She is a right mess, the Governor." The stormtrooper says, leading him away. "Doing that to a poor old woman, have you know heart? She could have had a heart attack!"

Ezra couldn't fight a snort, "Tamara is tougher than that. She could have a blaster at her head and make the assassin surrender."

"Yeah, she was the only calm one in the room when that happened." The stormtrooper agrees. Ezra isn't even surprised to find out that actually happened. Instead, he focuses on finding a cover story.

* * *

"Thank goodness." Tamara says, rushing to them. She had been waiting outside the local shuttle terminal. "Are you alright? How is your shoulder? You aren't drunk, are you?" She looks like she is about to hug him, but stops herself. Instead, she turns him as if checking him over.

"I'm fine, Tamara." Ezra says.

"Then, what were you thinking?!" She scolds him, and Ezra winces.

"Sorry, Tamara." Ezra says, feeling abashed. But he squelches it fast. All he needs to do is loose Tamara.

"Normally, I'd let you have your fun. But, unfortunately, I've been called back to the capital immediately, and your mother would kill me if I left you here alone." Tamara says. Ezra's head is spinning trying to figure out what to do next. He needs to get down to the planet. Here's away to get down there. But, was it trap? Did she even suspect he is a rebel?

Ezra is hit by another question. Why did she help him? Why would she pretend to be his godmother?

"Thank you, Stormtrooper Solon." Tamara smiles.

"No problem, Ma'am. Glad to be of serves." The trooper says, saluting.

Tamara smiles, "Come along, Ezra." Tamara puts her hand on his shoulder and directs him into the building.

Ezra's decision is made. Tamara doesn't remove her hand as they walk through the terminal. Now, he could easily run. But he'd prefer to sneak away, instead of having a chase through a busy terminal.

They near security. Ezra gulps. What if they see through that fake ID? Where did that fake ID come from anyway? What if they recognized him as a rebel?

Tamara squeezes his shoulder. He looks up at her. She smiles, and then brings them up to the officer. The officer stands fast, "Governor DeLune."

"Well, it seems my reputation precedes me. Should I be worried?" She glances at Ezra, a mischievous glance in her eye. She is joking.

"Oh, no. No... Ah... You are the Governor." The officer stutters.

"Yes, and you are a security transport agent." Tamara pokes fun.

"Right... IDs" He says. Tamara hands him two data sticks.

The officer plugs them in. "Right. Everything looks in order for you, Ma'am." The officer turns to Ezra. "Your name?."

"Ezra Akai...Sir." Ezra says, recalling the name on the things.

"What brings you to Peon?" The officer asks.

Ezra stifles his confusion, "To visit my godmother, Tamara DeLune."

"How old are you?" The officer asks.

"Fifteen." Ezra says. "Sixteen on Empire Day." He adds as he remembers that Empire Day is a few weeks away.

"Everything seems in order. Try not to cause the Governor another heart attack." The officer smirks.

Ezra groans, playing along, "That's going to become joke whenever I visit."

Tamara smiles, as they walk through security, "I am sure." She leads them to hanger with a shiny ship in it. He sees Warden and Cookie loading boxes into the ship.

* * *

The hover pulls to a stop. Ezra has long since given up trying to stop gawking. Yes, he had seen busy cities but never once this busy or big. Everyone is buzzing about. And the buildings were like fifty stories tall, probably more but Ezra's mind couldn't comprehend that. They are all sorts of shapes, too. Some are strait, some are curvy. Ezra even see one that is skinny until it reaches a large ball near the top. Everything is at the cutting edge of technology Ezra gets out of the hover and can't help but stare.

"Ezra," Tamara calls. He turns and follows her into another tall building. They enter the lift. Tamara scans a badge and presses the top floor, seventy-four. The lift shoots up. Within seconds the lifts windows reveal the cityscape. Tamara chuckles as Ezra unknowingly gasps. Ezra glues his face to the window.

"Tamara," Warden says. "Your seven hundred has sent a notification saying they will arrive in ten minutes."

Tamara sighs, looking at Ezra, "That is good. Thank you."

"You are not happy?" Warden asks. Tamara doesn't answer, instead gripping her necklace.

The door dings open. Tamara drags Ezra into the small lobby-like area. Tamara unlocks the main door, which slide open quickly. Ezra is greeted by an open space. In the center, is a large sunken circular coach. Towards one edge of the room is the kitchen. Most of the walls are windows. He sees two doors, probably bedrooms. Unlike the manor, it is clean and sleek.

Tamara smiles then sighs, "Ezra..."

"Yeah," Ezra turns to him.

"I... There is so much I need to tell you." She sighs, leading him to the coach. They sit down.

Tamara sighs, then smiles, "You are so much, like your mother."

"Wait, you knew my mother!" Ezra stares at her. How could she know- "You weren't lying when you claimed to be my godmother... But how?" How could his mother be friends with an imperial?

"When I met your mother... What can I say about her? She is incredible. She's the one who helped me meet my daughter, again. And I didn't even know her then." Tamara smiles. "She became my best friend. She became my sister. When I found out about her and... Ephraim being captured, it hurt so badly. Nothing compared to you, I am sure." Tamara looks at him. "But, it did hurt. And believe me, I tried everything to find you and your sister. But, I couldn't even find a record of you."

"Yeah, the Empire does that to children of those who oppose them." Ezra says.

"The kriffing Empire." Tamara curses.

"You hate the Empire?" Ezra asks, confused.

"They've taken my family. They've hurt so many, even there own. While there are good people in the Empire, an organization that only hurts cannot govern." Tamara says. "It's why I support the Rebellion."

"You do?" Ezra smiles.

"Of course... You thought, I was an imperial because I am a governor." Tamara realizes. Ezra smiles, sheepishly. "Well, that explains why you ran. No, I am not. I was appointed governor because of my managerial skill. Turns out I was a bit more than most imperials can handle, but the people love me. So, my position is a bit difficult." Ezra nods, understanding.

Tamara takes his hands, "I know this is hard to believe, but I know your parents are alive."

"You've spoken to them!" Ezra asks startled.

"Not in four years. They were planning to attack an inquisitor training base with friends of your father." Tamara explains. "They..." Tamara can't finish it.

"Trying to free Sunny." Ezra looks down.

"Yes," Tamara says. "It didn't go well. Sunny..."

"I know." Ezra says.

"But, I know, your parents are alive. They've been in worse situations then this." Tamara reassures. "If they can survive being trapped by hundreds of droids during the Clone Wars and facing against Gervious, then they can survive that."

"They didn't contact you after the failed mission?" Ezra asks.

"It was too dangerous." Tamara says. "Your mother and father did leave something in my possession should I find you." Tamara removes her necklace and hands it to Ezra. It's a holo-disk. "I haven't let it out of my sight since she gave it to me."

Ezra wipes away his tears, "Thank you."

"Tamara," Warden interrupts. "Your seven hundred is here."

"Right," Tamara wipes her eyes. "Let him in." Ezra raises an eyebrow, then he sense something familiar. He can't stop smiling.

Kanan walks through the door. "Kanan!" Ezra hops over the coach.

"Hey, how have you been?" Kanan smiles, looking at his padawan. He wasn't in his jump suit, instead wearing a grey shirt edged with orange, a dark tan vest, jeans and even a new set of boots. "What have you been up to?"

"Small galaxy." Tamara mumbles with a smile before asking, "Do you really want to know?"

"Hm... Probably not." Kanan smirks.

"Hey! I am not that bad." Ezra defends himself.

"Need I remind you that you walked into a group of stormtroopers under orders from Inquisitor Offee and your sister about four hours ago." Tamara raises an eyebrow.

"What?!" Kanan says.

"Nothing happened." Ezra says.

"Why were are they even here in the first place?" Kanan asks.

"According to Sunny, Offee thinks you might have stopped here. As such, you guys need to get out of here quickly." Tamara says.

"Right." Kanan agrees. "We should go. The _Ghost _is operational, again. And I for one don't like being on the same planet as them."

"Agreed." Tamara says. Tamara puts her hand on Ezra's shoulder, "Take care of yourself. Be safe."

"I could say the same thing to you." Ezra says.

Kanan smiles, "It was good seeing you again, Tamara."

"Likewise, Kanan." Tamara shakes his hands.

Ezra and Kanan leave. As they lift's doors close, Ezra asks, "You know my godmother?"

* * *

Ezra smiles, as he watches the glow of hyperspace from his turret. As nice as it was, just being a kid, he missed the _Ghost_ and his family. Family...

Ezra stands and starts searching the ship. He follows the sound of an angry lasat to the common room. He finds his target being chased by Zeb. "Hey." He calls out. They both pause, hearing the unusual serious and somewhat melancholy tone of his voice. "I know you to are busy, but could I borrow Chopper for a few minutes."

"Kid, everything alright?" Zeb asks.

"Yeah, I just need Chopper's help." Ezra says. Chopper and Zeb look at each other, before Chopper rolls towards Ezra. Ezra leads them to his and Zeb's room. Ezra shuts the door behind him. Chopper beeps at him, an unusual concern tone to the beeps. "Tamara gave me a holo-disk with a message from my parents. Could you play it?" Ezra asks.

Chopper is silent for a moment, the beeps his "no problem" beeps.

"Thank you." Ezra kneels down and inserts the disk.

After a moment, a holographic small blue woman appears. She isn't dressed like she usually did, instead being in a dark long sleeve shirt and pants. She also had knee high leather boots on, which Ezra had never known her to wear. Her dark brown hair is wrapped into a bun. But there is no doubt in his mind that this is his mother. If there were they were banished the moment she said, "Ezra..."

"There is so many things I need to tell you. I wonder how old you'll be when you see this. If you see this..." She sighs. "If all goes well, we'll be together soon and I'll be able to tell you the things I am not able to say here... There are so many things I want to tell you. But they need to be told in person. Just know this, you're father and I are about to embark on a mission to save your sister. She is in a very bad place and if we don't get her out soon she will not make it out. I know it's not fair but..."

"What are you up to?" His father's voice comes into the recording.

His mother looks to the side, and she smiles. His father walks into the recording and hugs his mother. Ezra almost didn't recognize the aged man. He has lost a good chunk of the hair on his head, and his beard has greyed. But the way he holds himself and the smile on his face, it is his father. "I... I am leaving a recording for Ezra, in case things go wrong..."

"Hey, everything will be fine." His father reassures, turning to the camera. "If we can survive your mother getting us buried alive, I am sure we can survive this."

"It was your plan that got us buried alive, Dear." His mother says.

"And yours that got us captured in the first place." His father smirks.

His mother smiles, "We have gotten ourselves into a lot of trouble in the past."

"We've always gotten out of it." His father says. "This time will be no different."

"I recall a certain C1 astromech get us out of more than a few scuffs, and Zara, and the Wrens... And the-"

"I got it, Ad'ika." His father says, then looks into the camera. "The point is, Ezra, don't worry. We'll be together soon. I promise. I love you so much. I think about you and Sunny everyday, wishing I could hold my twin suns again so much it hurts. I can't wait to see you again, safe and healthy."

"For once, your father is right." His mother smiles besides him. "We love you so much. And the first thing I am going to do when I see you again is hug you and I will probably never let you go again. Stay strong, my little Jetii."

"We'll be home before you know it." His father says. "This isn't good bye. It is a 'See you soon'."

"See you soon, my son." His mom smiles, sadly.

"See you soon, Mom, Dad." Ezra says, softly as tears fall down his cheeks. The hologram vanishes.

Chopper pats Ezra's shoulder with a metal hand. Ezra smiles at him, though the tears don't stop, "Thank you, Chopper."

* * *

**Thank You Time!**

**Thank you Berzerker21 for following and favoriting. Thank you Midnight Luna and Paint the Fangirling Wolf-Dog for reviewing. Paint, your name just keeps getting longer and longer, doesn****'t it? Midnight Luna, I agree that no adults help Ezra as a kid. Tamara wasn****'t involved with Ezra****'s childhood.**

**No one even attempted the Question Time. Has anyone played Kingdom Hearts? ****"Sora****" means sky. I****'d like to say it is a tongue in cheek reference to ****"Skywalker****", but I didn****'t think of that until I was writing this. I just like the word ****"sora****". The ****"Yu****" comes from the kanji for ****"kind****" and that came from what Chance is to Sonya, kind.**

**Question Time: Who is you favorite Star Wars Rebels character?**


	24. Chapter 23: Turning to Pieces

**RUHLSAR000 Here! How are you all? We broke Ner Vod's record for most reviews in one chapter. Yay! As such, Thank You Time takes up two pages in Word. I am keeping this short. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! ALL HAIL DISNEY!**** I apologize for errors, delays and long-winded author's notes.**

* * *

Ezra looks over the story, "'this con-v-eh-rrrr-SAY-ti-on...' What?"

D looks over his shoulder, "Conver-Say-shion."

"How does t make the sh sound?" Ezra's eyes widen

"'Fraid, you'll just need to memorize 'tion', Padawan." D smiles, patting his shoulder. "Hey, the text size you can read has gone down a little. You are improving and it has only been a week."

"And I always get a head ache." Ezra sighs.

"Ezra..." D starts, but both their coms go off.

"Mission?" Ezra asks.

"You too?" D says.

"Guess we should go." Ezra sighs.

"Don't want those rumors to get worse, now, would we?" D smirks.

"Be safe." Ezra smiles. "May the Force be with you."

"You too." D smiles.

* * *

"Failure will have repercussions." Inquisitor Offee states in a loud voice to the officers and stormtroopers. Sonya is forced to stand beside the witch. "These rebels have escaped one to many times." Chance kneels shirtless in front of them, restrained. "You had them in your sight and let them flee."

"The child would have died..." Chance protests.

"Silence!" Offee shouts, in a rare burst of emotion. "Talking back to your superior, you only increase your punishment. It seems you all have come to doubt my willingness and my ability to discipline. Well, it is time to rectify that." Offee unfurls a leather whip with metal hooks on the end. "For the act of disobeying a direct order, thirty lashes. For talking back, an additional lashes for each word. Bringing your total to thirty-five." And she unleashes them one after another, pausing only to allow the pain to dull so each strike did not blur together. The hooks dig into his flesh ripping apart his back. After fifteen lashes, Offee stops. Sonya feels her stomach churn, knowing this is about to get worse. Offee looks at her. "Apprentice, finish the lashings."

Sonya very nearly drops her metal barriers in surprise. Sonya quickly regains her composure, so fast that no one would know she lost it. She takes the whip, wordless. Chance looks up at her, begging for her to do something to make it stop. Sonya doesn't meet his eyes. She begins. She goes as fast as she can with out looking like she is trying to finish quickly. When she finishes, Chance is barely conscious.

"Take him to the medical wing." Sonya says, tossing the whip down in discussed. Her voice is cold and cruel. "I will not have the best shot on this ship out longer than necessary." Two troopers rush to him. One pauses as they pick him up, looking at her. Sonya can't help but look away, but she hides it well. She turns to here master. "Are we done? Because I'd rather be focusing on our _guest_."

Offee waves her hand, "Dismissed." Then, as Sonya turns to leave, she says, "Apprentice, a word."

* * *

It seems like a pretty basic mission to D. The entirety, about twenty people, of the Phoenix Cell is in the main hub room. She, of course, sits with her team, Beta. Not that any of the other teams would want her sitting with them. "From this point, Beta will infiltrate the compound. Gamma, be prepared to proved cover fire for Omega's distraction." Sage gestures to the hologram. "D, you will separate from Beta at this point. You will need to crawl through the vents and manually unlock this door."

"Sounds like fun." D says, cringing at the mere thought of vents. Why'd she have to be the youngest and smallest of Beta again?

"Will you please take this seriously." Sally, a twenty-year-old blonde and one of the four members of Beta, whispers harshly. D rolls her eyes and mouths _Sally needs a chill pill._ Willy smirks but nods towards the plans. Willy was one of the reasons D is in Beta. D is still a former imperial and has a lot to prove to most. Not Willy and not Sage, though. They know what she can do and more importantly what side she is on.

The briefing continues for another ten minutes. "Best prepare. We arrive in twenty. Be in position in ten." Sage says. "Dismissed." Sage pulls Willy aside. Sally goes with Talven to check their shuttle one more time.

* * *

D smile as the doors open, "That was easy."

"No time to pat ourselves on the back, Beta 4." Willy says, though as they run he does pat her shoulder.

"Don't encourage her, Phoenix 2. She'll get a big head." Sally says.

"You mean like you." Willy shoots back. Sally rolls her eyes.

D coms the main ship. "Beta to Alpha Command, we're in."

Amy, a communication expert on Alpha responds, "Good. Beta 4. We are standin-"

"Alpha 4, Alpha 4. Signals down." D says.

"Lovely." Talven says, "We're running blind."

* * *

"Alpha 4, what is going on down there?" Sage demands.

Amy double-checks every switch trying to get the signal back, "Beta has made it into the bowels, sir. But, I lost the signal. I can't even connect to Phoenix 2's ear piece." She checks every thing one last time. "Not... lost... Jammed!" She presses the mike button. "BETA SQUAD COME IN!"

"What's going on?" Sage demands.

"Not lost! Jammed. They know we are here! It's a trap!" Amy yells. Sage doesn't waste any time.

* * *

"We are almost- kriff." Sally says, rounding the corner of the last hall.

"Kriffed. Yeah that's a good description." D says, as she Talven and Willy round the corner. A twenty plus stormtroopers and an ISB agent stand there. They turn to run, but there are ten more troopers behind them.

"Surrender, Rebels!" The ISB agent says.

"What do you think?" Sally says, as they move in to a circle to cover their backs.

"This doesn't look good." Talven glances from side to side.

"Do what you will, but I am never going back!" D whispers.

"Any suggestions then, Beta 4?" Willy glances around for an opening.

"Working on it." D says as the troopers approach, blasters trained on them.

"Dhara Leonis..." The ISB agent says. D flinches. Dhara, that is the name Sonya call her. "The Inquisitors will be glad to have you back. Though, I suppose disciplinary actions will be taken." D mind flashes. Red light burning dark skin. Pain. Darkness. Hunger. Fear. Nothing is solid but all of it feels concrete.

"NOOO!" D yells, Force pushing four troopers into the wall. Everything freezes for a moment. No one is quite sure what just happens. D is the first to figure it out. Her eyes widen, a smiles crawls on to her face. She had forgot her real power. She is Force-sensitve. Yet, she has to hide it for everyone's safety. But... "Ah...Kriff it! Cover me!" She hangs on to the feeling she just used and pushes another five troopers. Every trooper begins firing. D flips a desk with the Force. The others rush behind it.

"Beta 4!" Willy yells. D dodges various blasts without much thought. The basics of the training the Empire forced upon her are now being used against them.

"I think she's fine!" Sally says, blasting at a stormtrooper. Talvin stares at D. "Look alive, Beta 2!"

"Sorry!" Talvin aims and shoots, "Just how is she doing this?"

They duck behind the desk. Willy glances up. D is dodging then blasting. She flips and dodges with ease, as if knowing what is coming next. If they get to close, she pushes them away. Stormtroopers figure out quickly not to get near her. But staying far away isn't much help as D just blasted three stormtroopers. "This is the power of the Force..." Willy breathes. It is amazing. Why hadn't she used it before? His answer comes a moment later. D gets grazed in the arm, but had she not been using the Force it would have killed her. She Force pushes the stormtrooper into the wall. He catches her face. She is breathing deeply and sweating profusely. But, all the troopers are down. She smiles at him, pure joy and accomplishment shining on her face.

The sound of a blaster goes off next to Willy. "Look out!" Sally says turning, but is pistol wiped as she does so. She shouts in pain. Willy gasps. The ISB agent fires him in the chest. Willy lands next to Talvin.

"Now!" The ISB agent says, smirking, "Are you afraid? Will you surrender?"

D lets out a shallow breath, she isn't afraid. She's been afraid since they were surrounded. Now, she sees red, like the lightsabers that fill her nightmares.

The ISB agent continues to gloat, "You can't w-" D doesn't let him continue. She doesn't even know what she is doing. For all she knows, one of the two people who believes in her, who doesn't doubt her in the slightest, was gone, probably dead. She is mad. Nothing else fills her head. The ISB agent gasps for air as he is lifted into the air. Desk materials fly around the room.

Sally manages to pull herself together. "Willy! Talven!" She sits up and examines them. Relief fills her. They are only stunned. "D! They'll be-" She stops. D looks terrifying. This wasn't the D she knew. The one who laughed in the serious times. The one who works so hard to be accepted. The one she, and everyone, didn't trust at the beginning. This isn't the D that many had accepted. Sally hasn't realized until that moment that she was one of the many.

"D!" Sage's voice fills the room.

"Phoenix 1!" Sally yells. Sage looks at her. "Willy and Talven have been stunned! D freaked out! I don't know what to do!" Sage nods.

"D! Stop!" Sage yells. D ignores him. "Willy and Talven are fine! D!" D ignores him. Sage dodges something that went flying by his head. "You don't want to do this!" Sage yells. D ignores him. "You do this! You attach yourself to the dark side!" D's hand flinches, but doesn't stop. "Willy is FINE!" D's hand lowers by half an inch. "You are not one of them! Don't act like it!"

D gasps. Her hand drops and so does she.

"D!" Sage rushes to her.

D gasps as she returns from her momentary laps of consciousness. "Sage... What... I feel so cold..." D says, fear lacing her voice along with a heavy dose of exhaustion.

Willy and Talvin groan as they begin to come to. Sally goes over to the unconscious ASB agent, wiping away the blood dripping into her eye. "He's alive." She says, sounding annoyed, but... apart of her is relieved. No one is the same after their first kill. And yes, this is war. But this slim ball doesn't deserve to change D.

D looks over to Sally's voice. "I... did... this..." Her whisper of a voice is filled with heartbreak.

"We need move!" Sage yells picking up D, who slips back into unconsciousness. Willy groans, picking up Tavin.

* * *

Sally growls as the door closes behind her. "How is it going out there?" Talvin asks in a whisper, as he shifts the ice pack on his head. Sally looks at him and sighs. "That bad?"

"Some idiots are even going so far to say, D sold out the plan. And far to many are believing it." Sally looks down, feeling guilty that she, even a few weeks ago, may have done the same. She doesn't know when she started trusting D.

"That's ridiculous." Talvin says. "The four Phoenixes planned it. Heck, we didn't know who the entrance team was until today. Heck, she's hardly been on the ship for the past week. She's been hanging out with that kid from the Ghost Cell."

"I know." Sally cringes, looking over at D. She is pretty much unresponsive. She is sitting slouched in bed, in a blanket that Willy wrapped around her. Her eye glazed over. She looks so small, so fragile, so like a scared child. This isn't D.

Willy feels the need to say something for the little girl, "You were incredible! If we can use that on mission-"

"Willy, shut up." Sage says, without hesitation.

"No... No... No..." D starts freaking out. Sage looks at the others, the message is clear. They all, after a moment, leave.

Sage kneels down, taking her hands, "D, please listen... I am sorry. I know the Force is strong. I know this from Ahsoka. But, I had no idea how to deal with a Force sensitive. I have no idea what it is. So, I thought it was best to ignore it. But... I am sorry... I ignored its affect on you." Sage pauses. "You are not like those people who use the Force to hurt people. I know, if you are trained, you'll become one of the greatest Jedi." D doesn't respond to any of this, to lost in her own thoughts.

* * *

Chance hurts all over. And not just physically. Sonya hadn't held back at all. Her strikes were just as strong as her master. Why? Weren't they friends? The only mercy, if it could be called that, was her speed. How could she? Chance looks at the cloak, 0200. There is no way he could sleep. Considering that the medics weren't allowed to give him painkillers. He wonders who had ordered that. Offee or her Apprentice... Chance grits his teeth, in anger and in pain.

Sonya trembles in the doorway, feeling his emotions. She gulps, maybe they weren't directed at her? He certainly surprised her before. Maybe he could see her reasons for not holding back. They were obvious, but feeling the betrayal at he first strike caused her to doubt if he could see them. And Sonya isn't exactly normal. So...

Sonya coughs, "Hey..." Chance turns his head to her glaring at her. Her hopes die. "How are you feeling?" She walks over to him

"Like you kriffing care." Chance turns away.

Sonya winces. "Chance, please, understand-"

"Understand? Understand! Friends don't hurt each other! They go out of their way to prevent them from getting hurt. I've tried to be there for you! To listen to every little problem you've had. And what did it get me?" Chance yells.

"You are right..." Sonya looks down. She sees the white bandage around her forearm. Chance had no clue what he had signed up for. Sonya knew that yet she had done nothing to stop him. She had been selfishly clinging to him. And that is why Offee made her finish the punishment. To test her. "I... I take it we aren't friends anymore..." Sonya hides the tears from voice.

"What was your first clue?" Chance growls. Sonya looks down into her hands. She's not obligate to do anything anymore. But then again, she never was...

Sonya opens the bottle and slides to tablets out. "Can you sit up?"

"Considering doing anything related to my shoulders sends me writhing in pain, no, no I can't." Chance snarks.

"Easy Stormtrooper Sorayu. I am your commanding officer and will be treated as such." Sonya says, icily. She pops the pills and a gulp of water into her mouth and walks over to face him.

"Of course, how cou-" Sonya shoves her mouth over his and she shove the water and the pills into his mouth. As soon as it is in she moves away, covering his mouth with her hand. "Swallow." She orders. Chance glares at her. "You're really going to make me do this?" Sonya sighs. She reaches up with her other hand and uses the mind trick, "Swallow."

He does then glares at her. Sonya sighs, "Acetaminophen." She holds up a small white bottle. Chance's eyes widen as he sees the bandages around her arm. But, he reminds himself that it is none of his business anymore. "It's not as powerful as the painkillers you need, but it will take the sharpness off." She places the bottle into his hand. "Sneaking it every week saved my hide at training center." Sonya stands, "Sorry... I couldn't get you more. But they'd notice if I took some from the medical supplies and then they'd punish you again." Sonya sighs, "I guess, this is good bye." Sonya walks out of the room.

* * *

The Phoenix touches down in the hanger. D breaks out of her haze and is the first one out of the ship. She needs to be alone. She needs to be alone. She needs to be alone. Her feet lead her on their own. She runs and runs. Each room hall she glances at quickly before continuing on. She just needs to be alone. So, why is she by passing empty rooms?

The torment is excruciating. She used the Dark Side. Even if everything during her training is a blur, she knows she used it. She swore never to use it after her escape. She had stopped but that was only because of Sage. Using the Dark side means she is no different than the monsters she is fighting. Just like everyone thinks.

Her feet carry her outside to the cliff. D looks around, desperately. Seeing she is alone, despair fills her. Why- It hits her. This is her and Ezra's spot. She needs someone who believes in her. She needs someone who will understand. She doesn't need to be alone. She doesn't want to be alone. She needs her friend.

She is alone.

D walks to the log and collapse on it. Her sobs echo through the trees. What is she suppose to do? She has no one who can show her what to do. If she continues to use the Force- D gulps. She could fall. All she knows is to fall. All she has ever been taught is to fall. Can she even be a Jedi? Or if she even tries, will she fall? Is that the real reason Ahsoka won't train her? Because she knows there is no hope for D on the path of a Jedi?

As D's mind continues down this path, she becomes more and more sure of that it is true. And more and more convinced that to prevent it, she can't be Force-sensitive. But, there is no way to stop being Force-sensitive. Maybe...

D sobs, though her tears have long since run out. She wants someone to guide her. But she can't have that... She wants someone to tell her it will be all right, to say that she isn't destined to deny herself or fall to the dark side. She wants Ezra.

But even as she realizes this, she feels him slip away. What if he thinks she can't be more than a dark side user after what she did. What if-

She sees the _Ghost_ come towards the base. She doesn't think. All she knows is she is running, running into the base, running through the hall, running into the hanger. The _Ghost _is just touching down. The ramp goes down and the crew slowly walks down it, a weight heavy on their shoulders. Kanan doesn't even get down the ramp. He just sits down and sighs, as if withdrawing in on himself. D flies over. She glances around, confirming that Ezra isn't among the three that came down. She glances up into the cargo, but he isn't there.

Confusion fills her. She looks around, again. "Where is Ezra? I need to talk to him..."

Everyone looks down. Sabine walks over to her and places her hand on D's shoulder. "Come on." She nods her head away. They walk a little ways away. Sabine says three words, but those words send D gasping and her hands to her mouth. D denies the possibility. But Sabine confirms it again. D takes a ragged breath, pulling herself together. No matter how messed up her life is right now, she isn't the one hurting the most.

D walks over to Kanan and sits down next to him. "Don't worry yourself sick. He is a survivor. He'll survive until you get to him. And you will get to him." She places a hand on his shoulder. She knows it is selfish but she can't help but add, "Please, let me know as soon as he is back."

* * *

Sonya sighs as she composes herself. She glances at her arm, and the bandages around it. It was a nasty burn, but then again it was a lightsaber burn after all. For her poor execution of punishment and for her past mercy towards her crew, she had been punished. Had she moved at all as Offee placed her lightsaber against her skin, she'd have lost an arm. A punishment and an exercise in one. No wonder it was one of the favored punishments at the training facility.

Still, Sonya knows that Offee didn't suspect anything between her and Chance. And Sonya didn't need to worry about that anymore... Sonya's heart squeezes tight. Sonya sighs. She has an interrogation to do and Sonya suspects that that is why Offee's punishment was, relative to Offee's previous punishments from before she was apprenticed, light.

Sonya raises her head. She will not be broken by this. She marches around the corner. The four stormtroopers salute. Sonya swears in her head. One is Chance's friend, Rong. She can't help avert her gaze from him. Slightly! "I... have my orders to interrogate Eb... the rebel..." Sonya doesn't even have the emotional strength to stop the pain slipping into her speech. She feel Rong's surprise in his signature.

The door opens. Sonya walks in. There he sits on a metal slab attached to the wall. His hands are bound. And the Force inhibitors are working, if the muting of his Force signature is anything to go by. But with his power level, they'll have to reapply it soon. "Ezra."

He looks up. Defiance is a flame in his eyes. "Sunny. What happened to our parents?"

* * *

**Thank You Time! ****… Wow! A lot this time! Thank you heartring123 for following. Thank you Deathconsumer1448 for following and reviewing. Thank you Jesla777 for following, favoriting and reviewing. Thank you. You gave me one of the greatest compliments a fanfic writer can get. Thank you. You really made my week. And given what an awful week I have been having, I needed that.**

**I****'d also like to thank FK17, Chiibe the Rebel, Paint the Fangirling Wolf-Dog-Dragon-Phoenix ;-), Kazie, Guest, and Midnight Luna.**

**Midnight Luna, **

**First let me say I am honored you came up with an OC for my story. It really does mean a lot to me. However, I just can****'t find a space for her. Firstly, the Wind Tribe, or rather Cell, is filled. Each member has a name and a place. As for her being second in line, that****'s filled too even if it is not officially stated among the tribe. If Orin was gone, Aeries and Cely would probably take over, with Aeries as leader. Aeries, in spite of her age, is the most experience as a taken, after Talia. Where most come in to the world of the taken, Aeries really is a native and all she knows is to survive. You can even see her in earlier chapter stretching her weight a little bit to go around Talia and Orin****'s wishes. Is she ready to lead in her own right? No. But, she is starting to get it. **

**Next, she doesn****'t really fit into the mold of a taken. Taken as a whole are terrified of losing their freedom, as they are constantly at risk of it. As such, a taken cannot and, generally, will boss another taken around. One or two tribes don****'t even have leaders. A tribe leader only has authority in an emergency situation; otherwise it is a democracy with the leader acting as a regulator to prevent arguments. Even Axle, former leader of the now dead Fire Tribe, could not break this rule, instead using fear of death or trappers to control his flock. Which is why Ezra could disobey Axle, which he did often. As for holding a grudge, it is actually highly unusual in the taken****'s world, at least on Lothal. Ezra just managed to step on a few people****'s toes. Hold a grudge means you have less people to trade with. Even tribes who hold grudges against each other are will to put it aside during trading meets. It is even less likely that a member of the Wind Tribe would hold a grudge against Ezra. He looked after six of the founding member and brought at least five takens to the tribe, even if he wasn****'t a member of the tribe. Heck, he even made one of them, Parts. They look to him as an unofficial leader.**

**As for loved Collin. Collin was thirteen when he died. I don****'t really think anyone can be in love with any one at that age. And they have other things to worry about.**

**This is a big reason as to why I can****'t use her. Every OC needs to add something to the plot. And the workable two features add nothing. All of the tribe is at least capable with a weapon with Alex, Aeries, and Talia being on par with professional shooters. And all takens are quick on their feet because if they aren****'t, they die or are caught by the trappers.**

**As for an assassin****… No taken is an assassin. These are kids just trying to survive. Yes, a few takens have become bounty hunters, but the ones from Lothal can be listed on one hand and still have spare fingers. It is expensive to become a bounty hunter. **

**Thank you for your OC and interest in my story. I apologize for not being able to use it.**

**My favorite character is, uncreatively, Ezra. Everyone loves Ezra. And he is not space Aladdin. Aladdin is Arabic. Ezra is clearly Indian. And there personalities are very different. Aladdin is legitimately a diamond in the rough, have never stopped caring for others. Ezra is very jaded, having to relearn how to help others.**

**Question Time: Who do you think the new female inquisitor is?**


	25. Chapter 24: Dalian

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Just a heads up! I may not be able to do Friday updates some times during the next ten week. My math homework is due a 11pm Thursday and I will probably be using Thursday to get it done. Any who, I apologize for errors, delays and long-winded author's notes. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! IT IS ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS TO COME OUT OF DISNEY'S BUYING OF STAR WARS! ****The other is the de-canonization of the Holiday Special.**

* * *

A figure jumps from muddy island to muddy island through the bog that made up the majority of this worlds ecosystem, a lantern in hand. The genderless clock's hood obscures the figure's face. The figure pauses for moment, bowing its head. Then the figure shoots to the left, startling several flying vermin roosting among the bog grasses.

After a few minutes, the figure stops, this time seemingly confused. Turning its head from left to right, as if looking for something. Its foot kicks something as the figure moves. Looking down, the figure sees a child of fourteen maybe fifteen. The figure kneels down, checking his pulse. The steadiness of it does not alleviate the knot of worry growing in the figure's stomach, instead transferring it from the boy to the figure's self.

A gloved hand brushes away his bangs from his forehead. Who is he? The figure drops her hood, revealing a thirty something year old woman who looked no older than twenty-five with dark blond hair cascading down her back, restrained by a significantly longer thin braid wrapping around her head three times, like a headband. Her green and blue eyes scan the boy.

She eyeballs the blaster clipped, not holstered, to his waste. She has seen numerous blasters in her short life from the bounty hunters that have managed to track her down while on the run to the many she had seen in her service to the Republic during the Clone Wars. Yet she had never seen anything quite like this. Picking it up, she twirls it in her hands. She thinks aloud, noting its unusual traits, "Why would it have two trig-" She cuts herself of as she feels something from the blaster, but not by tough. Her other hand hovers over the base, checking to make sure what she is feeling is real. And then, without a second thought, she pulls on a trigger. A three foot long blue beam materializes from the top. A sharp gasp escapes her lips.

* * *

The boy awakes, pain aching through his bones. But, his mind doesn't let him rest. He bolts up, trying to locate where he is. He looks around the sparsely filled room. He is lying on a pile of blankets that act as a cushion to the wooden floor. The room itself is circular. Behind him is a circular chimney, with a cast iron pot nestled neatly into the dying embers. A few shelves to the left contain some kitchen supplies, from a ladle to a few sets of dishes. He looks in front of him a table with a wash basin and pitcher rest on it, a set of gloves next to it. There is a small circular window every five feet or so. To his right... The boy is immediately on edge.

"Easy, kid." The woman says, leaning against the wall. A thin braid goes from behind her right ear down to her waist, much long than the rest of her hair. She has on a black long sleeved midriff top. A dark green skirt covers a pair of stained and patched tight pants that are made of some light brown durable material. Various cord belts and one large leather belt with a holstered blaster and a pouch of who knows what wrap around her waist. Her knee high boots are very worn but are holding up with the exception of a few discolorations. "You look like you've seen a lot of action." He doesn't relax as she speaks. Instinct takes over, the boy isn't quite sure what he is doing but something in him reaches out, feeling something surrounding the woman. Then, he just knows she has no intention of hurting him.

The woman for her part is trying to suppress the smile blooming onto her face. She pushes off the wall and walks slowly towards him. "I am Zara Tsukin, a simple hermit. You are welcome to stay as long as you need to. This planet is a place of forgetting and of healing. You choose which." She bends down and places a hand gently on his forehead. The soothing waves radiating off her make the boy decide not to jump back. "Your fever is down." She reaches down picking up two cylindrical objects, though one has a strange guard. The boy instantly takes them, feeling relief once they are in his hands again. "A lightsaber is a Jedi's life. One never does feel quite safe without it on them, even when it proves to be too dangerous to carry." Zara gets up and goes to the pot. Ezra spies a metal cylinder attached to the small of her back, held in a way to minimize movement. It is beautiful. It has a black cipher pummel. Black and silver vertical lined grip, then four small lights in red, green, red, green, with a yellow inlays surrounding the lights. The emitter is unusual, being shaped almost like a crescent moon, but not enough to get in the way of the blade when activated. A lightsaber. "Dinner is ready. Hope you don't mind stew." Zara goes and grabs two bowls from the shelf.

"You're a Jedi..." The boy breathes.

Zara quietly fills the two bowls before bringing them to him. She hands him one and a spoon. "And you're a padawan. Would you mid telling me who is teaching you? I thought most Jedi had turned and hid with their tales between there legs."

"My master is..." The boy says, before stopping a worried frown etching it's way onto his lips.

"It's alright if you don't wish to tell me. In this uncivilized time, one cannot be to careful." Zara sighs, eyeing the shoto in the boy's lap. The blaster like one, she easily sensed as his, but the other one... Between the force signature and the build of it, she is sure, from the moment she saw it, that it belonged to her master. Yet, the plan was, if Ezra wasn't Force sensitive, for Miranda to just train Sonya. If he was, then Zara would come train one of the twins and Miranda the other. Since Zara never was contacted, surely Ezra hadn't been a Force sensitive and the shoto would have passed down to Sonya, if anyone. Zara senses no malice from the boy. So, how did he come across the shoto?

"It's not that... I can't remember..." The boy breathes out, nervously as if making it real.

Zara starts a little, "What about your name?"

"Ebby, sounds right... But it's like it's a nickname." Ebby says. Zara gently pulls his chin forward, looking into his eyes. Zara fights a sharp intake of air. His eyes are identical to her master's.

"Well, you don't seem to have a concussion." Zara says, shoving that thought away for later, instead checking if his eyes don't follow her and other signs of a concussion. "Maybe something happened and you're blocking it out until you can deal with it... The mind is a very powerful thing."

"What should I do?" Ebby asks, not really sure what he could do.

"First, eat your dinner. No one can accomplish anything when their stomach's yapping at them. Then, meditate. It really does help to clear your mind. If that does work, step back. A problem can seem insurmountable but really in the grand plan anything related to us little people, isn't a big deal. If that fails, let life work itself out." Zara smiles, taking a big bite of her stew.

"In other words, trust in the Force." Ezra nods, biting into his.

"You got it, Kid." Zara smiles.

* * *

"What happened?!" Master Offee screeches at the stormtroopers who had failed to prevent the padawan's escape, in front of every trooper and officer... Well, except for the ones in the medical ward. Who knew an amnesiac padawan could do so much damage?

"We don't know," The captain says. "He moved so quickly. We don't even know how he got out of his cell."

"Are you telling me a handcuffed boy who can't even remember his name bested the _best_ of the Empire!" Master Offee says, Force choking the captain.

Sonya grips her fist. _One. Two. Three._ Sonya releases her fist. Then, she see that Offee hasn't dropped him. He collapses onto the ground. Sonya gasps, as she can't feel his presence anymore. She couldn't have...

Offee glares at the next. Sonya doesn't think. She runs between them. "Master, please stop this."

Offee slams her fist into Sonya's nose. The force sends Sonya back, but she quickly straitens herself out. She stays between the two. "Move, Apprentice."

"The fault is mine." Sonya says, as the blood runs down her nose. "The padawan is tenacious. Knock him down, and he'll only get stronger. I knew this but I, thinking that he would stop fighting like every other Inquisitor trainee once their memories are wiped, neglected to inform the stormtroopers of this. Punish me. I am the one at fault. They did not know any better. They did not know to be on guard."

Sonya doesn't even try to dodge the incoming kick. That would only make things worse. She falls to the floor. She hears the witch call for the whip. She sighs and grits her teeth. Thirty-two. She repeats to herself. That is the limit. Eighteen if she doesn't want Sonya in the medical ward for a week. That is regulation for inquisitor trainees. _One._ _Two. Three. _She counts not showing any signs of pain.

Her master whispers in her ear, _You cannot show pain to an enemy. If you do, you surrender your weakness to them._

_Seventeen. Eighteen. _Offee stops. Sonya sighs, silently, in relief. But, then she hears the his of a lightsaber. She doesn't allow herself to flinch at the burn on her non-injured arm. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, but really is only long enough for the smell of burning flesh to surround her, the lightsaber is removed. "You, make yourself useful and take her to the medical ward. I want her back in the bridge within the hour. Apprentice, you are lucky the regulations on punishment are so strict. I will not tolerate disobedience again."

A stormtrooper kneels down to help her up. It is Rong. Sonya shakes her head. Offee is testing her. Sonya pushes herself up and stands on her own. She walks out of the hanger with her head held high, Rong following her. As soon as she is out of sight of the hanger, she collapses against the wall. Sonya sighs, and gulps back tears, "She's kill the other two... We're lucky she was merciful on us..."

"That was merciful?" Rong asks, seeing Yon can barely stand.

"Yes, for her, even for a normal inquisitor trainee and stormtroopers, that was leanant. And it was me..." Sonya shakes her head.

"You?" Rong asks.

Sonya pushes off the wall with her bandaged arm. "This lack of professionalism is unacceptable." Rong at first thinks she is talking about him. He tenses up, nervous. "I'll be back to normal once I am bandaged up." Rong raises an eyebrow. She is talking about herself? Rong is pulled out of that thought as he sees how shaky she is on her feet.

Rong moves to be ready to catch her if need be. "I think most people would prefer this openness, Ma'am."

That actually gets a single sad chuckle out of her. "Honestly, so do I. But, it is not the way of the inquisitor. It isn't allowed. Any of this."

"Any of what?" Rong asks.

Sonya sighs and doesn't answer for the entire walk to the medical ward. Before she leaves to find a doctor, she turns to Rong, "Go talk to Cha- Sorayu... He needs a friend." She turns and leaves, not notice Rong stare after her, as if seeing her for the first time.

* * *

Ebby watches as Zara practices, from her deck. She only uses one lightsaber but she is so graceful with it. The blade is unusual, something tells Ebby. It's a shade of aqua, as if she stratals the path of a consular and a guardian. It wouldn't surprise Ebby is she does. She swings one way, lifts up a bolder using the Force and uses it to vault gracefully into the sky and then lands in ankle deep water without making a ripple. It is like watching a dancer. A deadly one.

Zara pauses. She looks up at Ebby, "Why don't you try?"

"Oh... um... I don't remember anything." Ebby says with a sigh.

"Well, maybe this will help." Zara says.

"I remember enough to know that I mainly know form three..." Ebby says, feeling in adequate next to someone as skilled as her.

"Well... How about a sparring match? I can help you learn more forms." Zara smiles, somewhere between amused and reassuring.

"Al..Alright..." Ezra slides off the deck of Zara's tree house, landing ten feet below.

Ebby ignites his lightsabers. They circle one another for a good minute. That surprises Zara. Most teenage boys rush into a match without thinking. Ebby, not so much. In fact, Zara is the first one to strike. Ebby moves the minimum to dodge and pins her blade with his. He, then, moves to strike her with his shoto. Looks like he is well suited to form two, Mikashi. Minimizing unnecessary flourishes. Unusual...

Zara ducks, and swipes out his legs. Ebby jumps. Zara is surprised to feel him use her shoulders to vault over her. She spins, fast and blocks his strike. _That was ARATU!_ Form four! The opposite of form two.

As they continue, Zara is stunned to see him using the basics and the mindset of form one and four together, in spite of his reliance on Soresu's movements. In fact, he seems to be adjusting Soresu to fit the style of the two aforementioned forms. Zara can't help but wonder what the masters would think of this padawan, as she parries his strikes with ease. He is dedicate to become a Jedi, yet uses a blaster. He shows promise in the two most opposite forms of saber technique, and is well trained in the form three, which is probably his master's preferred. And while she isn't going her hardest, he has potential and a creativity in his use of his environment. And unlike many duel weilders, he doesn't hesitate to use the Force to move objects in battle.

Finally, Zara, having seen enough, knocks him to the ground. She deactivates her saber, smirking at him. He smirks back, knocking out her legs. With a squeal, she lands in the mud. She makes a sound between a squeal and a laugh. She tosses some mud at his face. He laughs and so does she.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Maria Taka asks Chance. Mich Rong rolls his eyes. It is obvious to everyone but Chance, that she is crushing on him. Badly. All things considered, you'd think she wouldn't try flirting with him right now, though.

"All things considering, as good as I can be." Chance reassures. "Thanks, Taka."

"Please, call me Maria. I can't believe what a witch she was." Maria says. Rong mindless nods, how did Offee even get her rank? Actually, now that he thought about it all the inquisitors he's seen have been nasty pieces of crud. Maybe they are trained to be that way...

"I mean she actually seemed to like you or at least not hate you." Maria says, in a voice sounding like a sigh.

"Inquisitor Offee?" Rong asks, in disbelief.

"No duffus. Yon." Torence says. Chance looks away, fighting a sigh. They aren't wrong.

"Really? We are talking about a girl who just followed orders?" Rong raises an eyebrow. Orders are orders. It doesn't matter if a soldier disagrees with them. He'll get court-martial if he doesn't follow them.

"She hurt Chance. Are you forgetting that?" Taka says.

Rong sighs, closing his eyes as his mind wraps around a memory. "Do you... Do you remember the old Inquisitor? Not Yon. The one before her? Do you remember how common beatings were?"

"Before my time." Chance mumbles.

"They occurred regularly. And now they seem to return with vigor. When Inquisitor Yon first arrived, we were scared of her because she was so much like her former master. But… I can't recall a single beating she sanctioned... Sure, there have been a few chokings but nothing more than a few scares... She's never followed through…" Rong wonders, has he misjudged her?

"What are you getting at Rong?" Torence asks, confused.

"Yeah, you're terrified of her." Taka says.

"Well, she did save my life from Inquisitor Offee today." Rong shrugs. "And at great personal cost, too."

"That's... true." Torence admits.

"Oh, please! She was acting! How else could she bounce back so quickly?" Taka sneers.

"I don't know..." Rong says. He has no clue how that girl was able to act like everything was normal, but the pain was real. Very real.

"Okay, I'm lost." Chance sighs.

"Me and three other troopers were guarding the padawan. He escaped. Offee was going to kill us all. Heck, she killed the other three. But, after she kill the first one, Yon rushed in and created some BS story about how it was her fault. Offee lost it. Whipped her for a long time, then burned her with her glowstick."

Chance clenches his fist. It isn't his problem. Sunny doesn't care about him. Why should he care about her? Still... Sunny never gets the medical treatment she need... Heck, she rarely eats. "It's called a lightsaber."

Taka's eyes narrow. "It was an act. Yon didn't flinch during the entire time."

"The lightsaber I could understand." Torence admits. Everyone looks at him. "What? Have you seen what they can do to metal? She flinches and she'd lose her hand." Chance gulps. He didn't know a lightsaber could do that... Something like that must hurt... Not his problem.

Taka and Torence get pinged for duty and leave. Chance and Rong stay in silence for a while.

"Do you think maybe Yon had her reasons for following her orders?" Rong asks, wondering aloud. Chance glowers at him. Rong, who had been standing through out their conversation, sits down in a now vacant chair, "I mean beatings are common through out the Empire, but Yon seemed to think Offee is particularly nasty."

"What make you say that?" Chance scoffed.

"Well the fact that she called her beating 'merciful' is one reason." Rong says, using air quotes around the word "merciful". "And she… I think she implied that Offee particularly hates her."

"What are you getting at?" Chance glowers, not wanting to think about her or how her betrayal hurt so much. His hand slides under his pillow; gripping the bottle of painkillers she had given him.

"What do you think would have happen had Yon not followed orders? Had she shown anything like compassion to you?" Rong asks.

_She will use you to hurt me._ Chance chases the memory away.

"Yon implied... that Offee enjoys breaking her... And Offee has shown a ruthlessness." Rong says, unsure. "Maybe... I don't think Yon likes her troops being killed. I think Offee doesn't care… Maybe… if she acted any differently, you wouldn't be here. You'd be in the morgue with the three other troopers." Rong gets up and leaves.

Chance's thoughts swirl around. _Is it possible?_

* * *

Ebby watched Zara pull an open a panel in the ceiling. Zara crawls through it then look back down at him. "What did you think I sleep in the main room?" Ebby nods. "No, too cold. Plus it floods on occasion, thanks to the tides, which, despite living here for fifteen years, I still can't figured out. Come on." Ebby jumps up through the opening.

"So, where are we sleeping?" Ebby asks.

"Up there." Zara points to one of the large seedpods that these types of tree produce. That one looked to be about four and half feet in diameter.

"Where?" Ebby asks, confused.

Zara waves her hand. The pod lowers, via a series of pullies and ropes. There is one large window.

"Whoa..." Ebby says. That is pretty cool.

Zara opens the window and sits on the edge, "Shoes off." She takes her boots of and shoves them into a blue sack by the window. She scoots into the pod. Ebby removes his boots and shoves them into the sack. They barely fit.

Ebby crawls into the pod, closing the window behind him. He looks into around. There is an electric lantern hanging from the highest point. Pillows of varying shads of blue and pink cover the curved floor. The walls, which were about three inches thick, are painted purple. "It's the one place I don't have to look at green." Zara says, extending her hand. They begin rising into the air.

The pod wasn't big enough for either of them to lie down flat, but they could sit up no problem. And there was a lot of area in the middle, no doubt do the circular shape. "Green must get pretty boring after awhile." Ebby nods, understanding.

"Green used to be my favorite color." Zara reach out the window and hooks the bottom of a pod to a branch. "Now, it is pretty but..."

"You're sick of it." Ebby says.

"Yeah," Zara confirms.

"Then, why don't you leave?" Ebby asks.

Zara is quiet for a while. "The galaxy wants to forget the Jedi. So... I let it..."

* * *

**Thank You Time! My Favorite Time! I wish I could organize the follows and favorite list****… To the best I can tell****… I apologize if I forget you****… **

**Thank you FK17 for favoriting, following and reviewing. Your review made me blush. I am honored that you think Ner Vod is the best Star Wars fic you****'ve ever read. Thank you.**

**Thank you, Jelsa777 for reviewing. Yes, I did have a better, less panic inducing week. But, hey, I learned valuable life lessons. Like there is a certain point where you need to jusr _Let it go! Let it go! And rise like the break of dawn!_ And now I noise complaints from my neighbors.**

**Hey, Paint! Long time no speak. ;) Glad you loved the tension. I was going to have Ezra****'s capture and D****'s encounter with the dark side as two separate chapters, but it felt like they meshed together well. Thank you for reviewing. Love the gender-bend picture of Steven Universe btw.**

**Hi Midnight Luna. Thank you so much for reviewing. As for your character****… I cannot use her. You said you love my OC. Well; there is a reason for that. I spend hours upon hours developing them, coming up with a plausible back-story, figuring out how they think and talk. Even Rong, Torence, and Taka took about two to three hours to make and I did not think I was ever going to use those characters again after they first appear. Sonya and Talia each took upwards of two hundred hours, each, to develop _before_ I even type out the first sentence of Ner Vod. And I didn****'t know if I was going to use or continue using Talia or takens until I found out she was most people****'s favorite OC. I must have gone over Talia****'s introduction seen fifty times. The first one involved her capturing Hera, Zeb and Sabine, and thinking they were trappers until Ezra steps in. The one portion of that that stuck was her breaking his nose. Where was I****… Oh, right. If I could, I would develop this character and, while she wouldn****'t be a major OC, she would be in there. But, she****'s been written into a corner. I would have to change so much of her to make her work, that she wouldn****'t be your character anymore. And in all honesty, I don****'t have the desire to put the amount of effort she needs to come to life into her. And I don****'t want to do her the disrespect of being under developed. And as I said before, all of the traits I could use are already in other OCs. I don****'t want to put needless OCs into this story. It makes it overly complicated and because of that causes other readers to think why should I care. I can****'t have them ask that. I have already deleted several amazing characters from this story, characters I cried over having to delete, because they did not fit in the story.**

** As for the assassin bit****… I going to let the love thing slide because this is already long and I****'ve already spent hours putting my thoughts together. This I can****'t let slide, though. This bit, when I read it, actually mildly insulted me and my sense as a writer, and it left me wondering how did I fail in telling my story to have someone think that a taken could be in the mindset of a cold blooded killer. They aren****'t. They are children. Artemis would have to be 12-14 for her to work as you described her. Besides, it felt tacked on and out place. It felt like it was one of those things writers tack on to add cool value without doing anything. Only it fails at that. Cool characters come from heart, motives, and story. If they have that, then those cheats can propel them in to fricking awesome territory. But, without it they are just characters that leave people wondering ****"And I should care about this, why?****" **

**I will not be using your OC. I am sorry if I have insulted you in any way. Your reviews have meant the world to me and make me so happy every week. I would use her if I could. But I can****'t, especially since I****'ve already written the next ten chapters and have the story planned out till its end. I****'m sorry.**

**As for last week****'s questions, it is totally Barriss Offee. I have seen so much evidence for her and have not heard a single piece of evidence against that can****'t be explained. My personal favorite is that if you look closely on her nose, you can see two barely visible diamonds, like the remnants of a removed tattoo.**

**Question Time: Would you like to see what Talia is up to? (I have an idea for a chapter that won****'t affect the story too much, mainly just delaying a chapter from coming out by a week.)**


	26. Special: Innocent Eyes

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Here is the special. I am going to let you figure out when and were this takes place, but unlike the last special I can say this does take place in Ner Vod, as oppose to "May" take place. I am really glad to be able to write about this part of the story. I planned on writing more on this in the regular chapters but it doesn't seem to be happening. Hope you like it. Oh and has anyone watched the NYCC panel? The one were Dave Filloni said that if he could do a blonde villain in all white he would? I get the sentiments exactly. And I do actual have a reason for dressing Sonya in white. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! ALL HAIL THE MOUSE!**

* * *

A five-year-old blonde girl groans as she stirs from her sleep. She tastes the singed air of a blaster just being fired on her tongue. The scent of smoke fills her nose. Unlike most, the scent of smoke doesn't jerk her awake immediately. Even in her sleepy state, she recognizes the truth.

It's not there. Not really.

She always smells and tastes things that aren't there. She learned long ago what is real and what isn't. Still, she groans, knowing the awful taste won't leave until she investigates.

She sits up, wanting to curl up back into the perfect warmth of her comforter and the softness of her pillow. Please, don't make her get up. She looks around the room, the only light coming from the color-changing nightlight, which casts a beautiful glow across the room.

She looks over to the other bed, her brother's. He is curled up into a ball under a nest of blankets. Unusual... Is he cold? The taste of smoke settles more strongly on her tongue. She gets up. She goes over, puts her hand on his shoulder and shakes it. "Mmm... Ebby... It's just a nightmare... Ebby..."

Ebby shoots up, gasping. The little girl climbs up onto his bed. "Sunny..." Ebby wraps his sister into a hug, clinging to her desperately. "You're okay."

"Of course," Sunny hugs him, half asleep. "What happened in your nightmare?"

"I don't want to..." Ebby sighs.

"Did you know a dream is a wish? Whether you want it to be or not?" Sunny sighs, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"I don't want it to come true!" Ebby says, loudly.

"Then, spill! If you tell a wish it won't come true!" Sunny smiles, knowing she got him. That is how wishes work, after all.

"The stormtroopers came... They took Mommy and Daddy and... and there was this green lady with tear-like tattoos. She had this red lightsaber and she took you away. I was alone..." Ezra leans against his sister's shoulder, hiding his head in the pink fabric of her night shirt. She is here. She is safe. He tells himself over and over again.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere." Sunny reassures. "Let's go get Mommy. She'll make the nightmares go away."

"But... it's dark out there. What if the green lady is in hiding out there?" Ebby says.

"Then I'll protect you!" Sunny says, confidently, the last of her sleepy daze now gone.

"Al...Alright..." Ebby reluctantly agrees. They open their door with a creak. The living room is dark, except for a very low nightlight that casts a million and one shadows, a million and one places for something nasty to hide. All of a sudden, the walk to their parents' room feels a lot farther away. Neither has to look at the other to know the other's heart is beating out of their chest. "Sunny, you don't have-"

Sunny walks back into their room, hunching under her bed. She comes out with her padded lightsaber stick. "I told you I'd protect you. After all that's what older siblings do!"

"Your older by a week." Ebby shoots back, annoyed. Sunny will never let him live that down.

They sneak into the living room back to back. Sunny holds up her stick like Mommy showed her. They hear the sound of metal clanging outside. The two jump about ten feet. Ezra rubs his head from where he hit his head on the ceiling.

"It's just a tooka..." Sunny says, trying to convince herself.

"Yeah..." Ebby breathes. The shadows seem to grow. Both gulp and burst into a sprint. Ebby jumps up and opens the door. Both run to their parents' bed and crawl in.

Mira groans, waking up. She looks at the two wiggle worms. They don't do this often, but it was always the same reason. Mira just hoped it isn't a double. They never calm down after a double. And they have school tomorrow. "Whose nightmare?"

Ephraim groans. "Wha...?"

"Go back to sleep, Dear." Mira says to her husband. Her husband "hmmm"'s in response.

"Ebby's," Sunny whispers.

"Hot chocolate?" Mira asks, yawning. Both nod. "Alright." Mira gets up, followed by her children. She closes the door to her bedroom and flips on the light. The children rush to kitchen counter, climbing up the chairs. "Alright, the secret ingredients for good hot chocolate are..."

"Milk!" Sunny says.

"Vanilla," Ebby adds.

"That's right." Mira smiles, taking out the milk.

* * *

"Alright, time to wake up." Ephraim enters his children's room. He kneels beside his daughter's bed. Her head is buried under her pillow and one of her legs is swung over the edge of the bed. Of the two, she is the hardest to wake. That's not saying much, though. "Sunlight, it is time for the sunrises."

"No..." Sunny moans, softly.

"I'll let you wake up Ebby." Ephraim smirks.

Sunny's eye shoot open, nodding. She quietly sneaks up on her brother's bed. She preps to jump on his bed.

Suddenly, there is a flurry of blankets and Sunny gives a shriek. Sunny is pinned on the floor by her brother. "Not. Happening. Again."

"But seeing you jump is so much fun!' Sunny smirks.

"Not for me." Ebby says, getting off.

"Okay. Time to get breakfast." Ephraim smiles. Ebby and Ephraim walk out of the room.

Mira looks up and see her guys, "Morning Ezra. Where's your sister?"

Ebby and Ephraim look to their sides. Then, back into the room. Sunny is back buried under her covers, sound asleep. Ephraim groans. He knew it had been too easy.

"Can I wake her up?" Ebby asks.

"Go right ahead." Ephraim sighs. Ebby vaults onto the bed, producing a shrill scream from Sunny.

Ephraim goes up to his wife. "Never a dull moment."

"Whoever said you settle down after kids, didn't know what they were talking about." Mira says, putting down a plate of pancakes. "I've had aggressive negotiations less active than this. And they were shooting at me. Heck, Callili was less active than this."

"I wouldn't say that." Ephraim arches an eyebrow. Sunny chases Ebby around the living room.

"Second battle." Mira specifies.

"Ah, yes." Ephraim agrees. There is a loud thump of the two children falling over themselves. "Your turn. I woke them up."

"And your method cause this." Mira says.

"Yes, but do you want to see me try and break it up?" Ephraim asks with a smirk. After years with Mira, her ability to win an argument has finally rubbed off on him.

Mira just gives him the look. "Right," Ephraim gets up. He still has much to learn.

* * *

Class starts at exactly 8:30, as usual, with the pledge to the Empire, as usual.

The class stands and holds up their arm to a holo of the Emperor. "I solemnly swear allegiance to my Empire and my Emperor." Ebby and Sunny merely mouth the words. The teacher doesn't particularly care as they are still young, and she is of the opinion that children are stupid and lazy. What she doesn't realize is that they don't do it because they are the exact opposite of lazy and stupid. They pay enough attention to the words to know what they are saying. And they know they disagree. The two even subtly cross their fingers at their sides.

"I will uphold the values of my Empire; Loyalty, Intelligence, and Strength." Ebby tries to stifle his snort as Sunny tries not roll her eyes. More like ignorance, hypocrisy, and racism.

"And destroy all who oppose our greatest and mightiest of Emperors, Palpatine." Ebby suppress a groan, it feels longer every day.

"For he holds truth, wisdom and peace." Sunny's turn to suppress groan, but they are finally done.

They all sit down in there alphabetically arranged seats. Ebby and Sunny weren't complaining. Bridger may put them in the front, but it also puts them together and made for hilarious teacher exploits.

The teacher starts putting math problems on the board. "Winson!" She barks out. "What is thirteen plus twelve?" That is a little unfair if you asked either of the Bridger twins. They had just started adding single numbers last week. They hadn't been taught this hard stuff, yet.

Sunny glances at Ezra. She sees him writing numbers in the air. But, instead of writing them across, like they'd been taught, he is writing one number over the other. She hears him mumble, "Three plus two is five. one plus one... So twenty... Twenty-five..."

"Um..." The shy kid, who had been grateful to be put in the back, stutters. He scans the room as if looking for an escape. Ebby flashes two fingers then five. Winson squints "Uh... Twenty-five, Ma'am."

"That is correct." The teacher nods, pleased.

"Ezra Flashed Him The Numbers!" The class's resident teacher's pet shout and bully, Duff Ralf, yells.

"Ralf, there will be no shouting in my class." The teacher says, coldly. "Bridger."

"Yes," both Sunny and Ebby say at once. Ebby shoots his sister a look. She smiles at him.

"I was speaking to your brother, Miss Bridger." The teacher all but growls at her.

"How was I supposed to know that, Ma'am? You didn't use Miss or Mister. And I'd hate to disappoint you." Sunny says, in the tone she uses to troll teachers while looking innocent.

"Mr. Bridger, I'd appreciate it if you'd let the students succeed or fail on their own." The teacher glowers.

"What's 'appreciate'? And how do you know I was flashing the answer, Ma'am? I was merely stretching my fingers." Ebby asks, trying to match his sister's innocent look, stretching out his hand. "You know, Ralf doesn't like me since I beated him on that standard test last month."

The teacher glares at him. Ezra resists the urge to rub his ears as he hears a bell-like sound that is in a tone that physically hurts. But he knows it isn't really there. It always happens when someone is upset. "Beat, Mr. Bridger. The word is 'beat'. And that well may be, Mr. Bridger, but do not talk back to me. That is five demerits."

"Yes, Ma'am." Ebby looks down and bites his tongue. Any more demerits and his parents would be called. His behavior really ticks off the teachers. Ebby has heard the teachers talk about it. They say he is special. That he should be in an elite school. Ebby doesn't want to be taken from his sister. She is the only one who he can trust in school with his distaste for the Empire.

The lesson continues and then they moved on to reading.

* * *

"Finally." Ebby and Sunny say as one as they are let out on to the playground. Sunny twirls in delight at feeling the sunlight on her skin. Her sky blue dress flares out as she spins. Her brother laughs at her antics, but Sunny grabs his hand and drags him onto the asphalt faster.

The end of the school day has come, and now it is daycare until the end of the day. Not that they didn't enjoy learning, it is just the Empire-is-good sentiment being shoved down their throats is a little hard to swallow after the first five minutes.

"Ezra!" Winson's voice calls.

Ebby and Sunny turn to see him. "Hey, Ari. Call me 'Ebby'." Ebby smiles.

"I wanted... to... say... Thank you." Ari Winson says, out of breath.

"No problem. Ms. Callar is mean." Ebby says. "We haven't even learned that yet." Seriously, the only reason he knew is because he looked at the examples in the next chapter the a few days ago during the time after he finishes his homework and Sunny finishes hers, so the holonet can go on.

"Maybe we could stage a pro...protext?" Sunny suggests.

"A what?" Ebby and Ari says.

"You know, picket lines or have everyone sit out on the playground and refuse to get up from the time mommy and daddy drop us off until they pick us up." Sunny explains.

"We'd get in so much trouble." Ari says, obviously not liking the idea.

"I think most kids would go off and play within ten minutes." Ebby says and then whispers to his sister in Mando'a. "Plus, they'd ask where you got the idea."

Sunny pales, "Right, bad idea."

Ebby smiles, "Let's go play!"

Sunny nods, "Four square." They both begin to walk. But Sunny pauses and looks back. "Ari, you coming?"

"You want me to?" Ari asks.

"Of course." Sunny runs back and grabs his hand and drags him on to the playground. Ebby grabs a ball and a four square court. Another girl, Marsha Campbell, if Sunny isn't mistaken, is waiting with him. Ebby is smirking in the four box. Marsha is in the three box, looking completely out of her league. Sunny takes the two box and Ari the one box.

Ebby glances at a Sunny, then to Marsha, then back at her. "Alright, let's take it nice is easy." Easy... Marsha hasn't played before. And they both know Ari isn't that good. Sunny nods.

Ebby gently glances pushes the ball at Sunny she lightly pushes it at Ari. It bounces once and he hits it towards Marsha.

"Whoa..." Marsha pushes it to Ebby. Ebby pushes it with one hand to Ari. Ari, wide eyed, pushes it towards Marsha. As soon as it leaves his hands, a laugh escapes his lips. Marsha misses the ball. "...Sorry..."

"No worries." Ebby runs and gets the ball, returning quickly and continuing the game for another fifteen minutes.

Then Ebby hears Ralf. "Hey Tubby, you eat enough. Your bigger than a mountain." Ebby turns to see Ralf picking on Yuuma, a big kid who is couldn't get his weight down despite the teachers pressuring him and his parents.

"Ebby! Lo-" Ari's shouts. Ebby catches the ball heading for his head without look, bringing it to his chest. "That was cool." Ari grins. "How did you do that?"

Ebby doesn't hear him. _Don't Ebby,_ Ebby tells himself. _Don't bring attention to yourself_. Sunny glances at him, nervously, knowing her brother.

"You're so fat. How do you get through the door?" Duff says. Yuuma looks close to tears.

Ebby breathes. One more demerit... Sunny flinches as she feels like she just ate something very spicy... and, yet, perfectly sweet. Then, she notices that little rocks begin floating around the four square ring. About an inch or so off the ground. Strange...

She's seen it a few times before. _What is the cause?_ Sunny looks around, then notices her brother. He always seemed to be having extreme emotions when it happened... It couldn't be...

"Does your mom cry in shame, you big baby-" Ralf is cut off by a big rubber ball sink into his stomach. Sunny flinches. _Please don't let the teacher-_

"BRIDGER!" The teacher yells.

"Yes Sir..." Ebby and Sunny say at the same time. He glares down at them. Ebby glances at her. _Back down._ Sunny, with a sigh, takes a few steps back, looking down.

"You do not hurt other students!" He shouts.

"But Sir, Ralf was making fun of Yuuma!" Sunny rushes to her brother's defense. "And Ralf isn't-" Ebby shoots her a look.

"Do not back talk me, Young Lady! Or do you want to be punished too!?" The teacher shouts.

"N..No... Sir." Sunny looks down. Ebby smiles, subtly, in relief. They can't be seen to be causing trouble together. They'd be put in separate classes.

"Bridger! Follow me!" The teacher shouts. Ebby follows, head down, now worried. Sunny doesn't even try to stop it, as much as she wants to. They can't get in more trouble. If they do...

She sighs and then looks over at Yuuma, "Hey, Yuuma!" Yuuma starts. "Come play with us." He points to himself. "Yes, you! We need a fourth!"

Yuuma comes over. "Sorry..."

"Hey, you aren't the jerk." Sunny smiles, glancing over to her brother. Everyone's eyes follow to hers. Ebby is rolling up his pants above his knees, about twenty feet away. Then, as directed, he kneels down in the gravel on the side of the asphalt playground.

"They're making him do the gravel punishment..." Yuuma says, guiltily.

"How long do you think they'll make him kneel?" Marsha asks, worried, having gotten it for thirty minutes before.

"How long until till Mrs. Bridger comes to pick him and Sunny up? They are always stricter with him..." Ari responds. Sunny glances at the clock on the wall... Hours... His knees would be sore just from kneeling... And the jagged grave will be eating into his legs within minutes.

"Come on. Let's play." Sunny puts on a brave face. Even though, she is feeling the gravel bite into her knees as well. Ebby meets her eyes, a feeling of apology washes over her along with the scent of lavanda and other flowery smells dancing on her sore tongue. She brushes her shoulder off like the motion brushes away the feeling. _No apology needed._ Sunny continues to play with the other kids, missing the ball on purpose whenever she has been in the fourth square too long, keeping it interesting for the other kids. Every once in a while... Every two minutes... she glances over at her brother, especially when the gravel feeling become unbearable. He gives her a smile. She tries to smile back, but doesn't always succeed.

Thankfully, no one can stop the march of time. Finally, parents begin to arrive to pick up their children.

A feeling of safety falls over Sunny and she tastes that fancy chocolate mixed with lavanda she had once, and with a quick glance at Ebby, she knows he feels it too. It takes every ounce of her patience to not run up to him and hug him, today. To drag him here faster. To get him to help Ebby. But she doesn't, cause then the whispers and questions would start again. Finally, he walks into the playground. Sunny runs to her father, "DADDY!" Her voice is filled with relief as she jumps into his arms.

"Hey, Sunny. How was school today?" Ephraim smiles, then feels off balance as his second tackle doesn't come. Ephraim looks around.

"Ebby got in trouble!" Sunny says, her voice isn't that of a tattletale's, instead it's an I'm-worried-help-him voice. "Twice!"

Ephraim frowns. "Is it bad enough that I am going to have to put up with a lecture from a never ending rant of stupid?" He whispers.

Before his daughter could respond, a teacher approaches him. Ephraim resists a groan. Yes, yes, it is. "Mr. Bridger, I need to discuss your son's behavior."

"Where is my son?" Ephraim does his best not to growl at the idiot. It's not the teacher's fault he is a pawn. He is just a sheep. Just a sheep.

"Right, this way." The teacher takes a step back. Ephraim all of a sudden wishes Mira picked the kids up. She's the better actor. While he is still easily steps into the intimidating ex-soldier, as oppose to a simple communications worker he is suppose to be. He follows the teacher to the side of the playground, finally, finding his son. His son meets his eyes and then looks down, uncomfortable.

"You may get up now, Mr. Bridger." The teacher says.

"I'm already standing." Ephraim says, under his breath, just loud enough for his daughter to her.

She giggles and then adds a "Baa." as she leans against his shoulder. Ephraim smirks, even though he knows he shouldn't. His daughter must have picked up his earlier train of thought.

Ebby put his hands out on the ground, then struggles up. Ephraim takes a "calming" breath that only gets him angrier. Ebby looks down, again. Sunny knows she is being set down and steadies herself quickly so her daddy could rush to her brother faster. Ephraim is in front of his son immediately, glad it is him and not Mira picking them up. She would have picked up her son's discomfort three blocks away and been on the warpath.

Ebby's legs are pitted with the varying sizes and jagged shapes from the gravel. Even, a little blood coming from a few deeper pits. And the kneeling... That would require hours on hours. Mira had said multiple times that even masters need to pause meditation after a few hours to shift their legs or face sever pain upon exiting meditation. Ephraim puts his hand on Ebby's cheek. Then he picks Ebby up, careful of his legs. He turns to the teacher slowly. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Ephraim shouts.

"Your son misbehaved, and was punished." The teacher says, dismissively.

"Then, stand him in the corner for fifteen minutes." Ephraim growls. They didn't even punish like this during his training on Kamino.

"It was far more sever than just a fifteen minutes stand in the corner." The teacher snorts.

"What did he do?" Ephraim growls. Ebby is shaking in his arms. Ephraim puts his hand on his son's head, holding him close, trying to comfort him, to let him know it would be okay.

His daughter piped up first. "He was defending Yuuma! Ralf was picking on him again!"

"Your son through a ball at another student, hard." The teacher says.

"Ralf didn't even fall to the ground, just stumbled a bit." Sunny protests, clinging to her father's leg.

"Beyond that, there was an incident this morning of your son talking back to his class teacher this morning."

"She was being mean. How are we suppose to know what she hasn't teached yet?! She almost made Ari cry!" Sunny protests.

Ephraim says, low, "Sunny..." Sunny looks down. He turns his attention back to the teacher, "That is no reason to physically punish my son."

"Mr. Bridger, I beg to differ." The teacher glares. "Your son is brilliant. He could easily skip the next grade. If his reading skills do improve like everything else he is taught, then he could skip the next few grades. He'd be of great use to the Empire when he is older." Ebby squeezes his father's shirt. He will never be a tool for the Empire. Ephraim hugs his son closer, and slightly steps in front of Sunny, as if this man would try and steal his kids from him right then and there. He wants to shout that his son will never work for the Empire. That he would die before he saw either of his children force to do its whims. But he doesn't. He can't. They would be taken if he did.

The teacher continues, unaware of the displeasure he caused in the family. "But, it is this disrespect that holds him back. All his teachers agree. I am only trying to bring out his best. Coddling does nothing."

"You don't have kids." Ephraim says. Before the teacher can respond, he adds. "Not a question. Making children fear you only encourages misbehavior because they want to get away from their fear. Beside that." He looks straight into the teacher's eyes. "My son respects every sentient being upon meeting, just as we taught him. If he shows disrespect, it is because you've lost his respect. Like you've lost what little remains of mine when you hurt my kids. And the only reason I am still humoring you with this conversation is I will set a good example for my kids. I will deal with punishing my kids for their misbehavior. You deal with teaching them, though you fail miserably at that. Goodbye. Come Sunny." The three walk away, leaving a stunned teacher.

They walk a few blocks. Ephraim feels something wet on his shoulder. "It's alright. It's alright." He tries to comfort his son. Ebby mumbles something. "I couldn't quiet hear that."

Ebby sits up and, in a soft voice, says. "I said... Sorry..."

Ephraim kneels down, setting his son down. "Ezra... What are you apologizing for?"

Ebby glances around. Then he whispers, part from sadness part from not wanting others to hear, in Mando'a. "You and Mommy re-re-rely on us to not make trouble and not draw attention to us... I maked trouble." Ebby sniffles.

Ephraim is momentarily stunned. Ezra actually thought he was disappointed in him. Ephraim pulls him into a hug. "Ezra. I am proud of you. No matter what you do, I love you and some sheep aren't going to change that. I will never not be proud of you for protecting others. The only thing I wish you had done differently is to go get a teacher when this Ralf began picking on Yuuma." Ebby nods, slightly.

"That wouldn't help." Sunny says. Ephraim looks at his daughter. "The teacher's were making fun of Yuuma's weight too..."

Ephraim struggles for words, "If it wasn't against the law, you two would be home schooled. Heaven knows, they aren't teaching you anything. Just trying to brain wash. Come on I'm sure, Mommy's got dinner almost ready. And you know she is going to want to check out your legs."

They reach home. As they enter, they see Mira, with the med kit, waiting on the couch. Wordlessly, she goes over and picks up her son, bringing him to the couch. Sunny looks at her mommy. "How does Mommy do that?"

"Mother's intuition." Ephraim says.

"Oh, what's that?" Sunny asks

"It something that tells Mommies their kids are in trouble." Ephraim explains.

"Do I have that?" Sunny asks.

Ephraim blanks, "No and not for a long long long long long time."

"Then, why do I just know stuff? And Ezra too?" Sunny asks.

"We'll tell you when you older." Ephraim reassures.

"But, you trust us with knowing about your broadcasts..." Sunny says, "How is this different?"

Ephraim kneels down, "If we could, we wouldn't burden you with our broadcasts, either."

"Burden?" Sunny asks.

"Weigh down. Sunny, can you honestly tell me you don't wish you didn't have to keep thinking about how you act or worry that we'll be caught?" Ephraim asks. Sunny looks down and shakes her head honestly. She doesn't want to, though. She and Ebby promised each other they'd be strong for there parents. They both know their parents wouldn't have told them if they had had a choice. But, hiding stuff from Sunny and Ebby is difficult.

Sunny wishes it wasn't. She wishes she could close her eyes and not see. Not see the kids in the alleys, with ragged clothes. Not see stormtroopers picking on shop keepers. Not see the pain everywhere.

But at the same time, she doesn't. She doesn't want to be herded, to be blind. If she had to choose, she thinks she'll pick knowing. She's never had the choice, though. And seeing her classmates play, so carefree... It'd be a lie to say she doesn't want that.

Sunny feels arms wrap around her. Ebby whispers into her ear, "I know."

"Kids, why don't you start you homework? We still have a little time until dinner." Mira suggests.

"Kay." They rush to the couch and set up their books.

Mira sighs, returning to the kitchen. Ephraim joins her, "You okay?"

It takes all her restraint not to slam down a pot. "Thank you for picking them up. I would have caused a scene."

"Not sure I didn't." Ephraim chuckles, lightly.

"Were you ready to whip out your lightsabers and march down there?" Mira says. "How could they hurt him? He's five years old!"

"They are using the carrot and the stick. They are trying to indoctrinate the kids into the cult of the Empire." Ephraim says. Mira silently agrees, as she checks the pasta. "Isn't there something about not striking in anger in 'your' code?"

"Why do you think I sent you to pick them up?" Mira says. She attunes herself to her children. Ezra is breezing through his math homework, ten problem of addition and subtraction. Sunny is glaring at one problem, before her attention is drawn to doodling in margin.

"Sunny, as much as I enjoy your drawings, your teacher requested your homework be clean." Mira shouts to them, her back to them.

Sunny jumps, "How does she do that?!"

"Need any help?" Ephraim asks.

"...No..." Sunny says.

"Ezra, I'd like to remind you that showing your sister the answers isn't helping." Mira shouts.

"...Yes..." Sunny says. Ephraim gets up.

"Ephraim, I'd like to remind you that doing your daughter's homework isn't helping." Mira shouts. "No matter what those big green eyes say."

"Mommy!" Sunny shouts.

"You'll thank me after your next test." Mira laughs. Ebby gets up, grabs his history data pad out, then climbs up to the counter.

"Mommy, I need help making sure my history answers are stupid enough for the teacher, while still having some truth... and reading the problems too."

"Shoot." Mira smiles. More like he needs help making sure he doesn't piss off the teachers when he is tired of eating baloney.

"Okay, first question. The great Empire was FO-nd-ed on what day?" Ebby struggles.

Mira turns and reads the question upside down. "Founded, Sweetie."

"On. My. Birthday." Ebby types in as he says it.

"Well, that's not wrong." Mira shrugs.

"What event ended on that day?" Ebby reads, slowly, "The. Clone. Wars."

Mira checks his spelling, "There is a silent 'E' at the end of 'Clone'. And 'Birthday' is spelled with an 'i' not a 'u'."

Ebby corrects it, "Thanks, Mommy."

Mira smiles at her son.

"What was the sin of the Jee-Die?" Mira looks over the question.

"Jedi." Mira says, with a sigh.

"Nothing, the Empire betrayed the Jedi. Not the other way around." Ebby glares at the data pad.

"Copy the words from the text." Mira sighs, "And take comfort in the fact you know what really happened."

"Mommy, how do you know what happened?" Ebby asks. Sunny and Ephraim stop working on the math problem. Sunny is curious, too.

"Daddy and I were there, on Coruscant during the war. Many Jedi were our friends." Mira says.

"One minute the Clones were working besides their Jedi generals, fighting... or laughing together around a campfire... Then Order 66 came... It was like a switch turned. It was a switch, or rather a chip. The Clones couldn't not follow the order to kill the Jedi..." Guilt fills Ephraim. Sunny leans over and hugs him, though his guilt confuses her.

"So the Clones were just as much victims of the Empire?" Ebby asks. "That's no fair! Why do people have to get hurt because of others actions!"

"My sweet son, that is just the way things are." Mira sighs. "Now you three wash up. It is time for dinner."

* * *

Mira smiles as she looks down at her sleeping children. They are so strong. Mira had met Jedi Knights and Masters with less strength than her two children. They will change the galaxy. But for now, they just have to listen to tales of the Jedi and play and be children.

Ephraim smiles at them from the door. Mira looks up and nods. She walks over to him. He puts his arm around her shoulder. They go into their secret room and begin to broadcast. Maybe someday she won't need to hide her children's abilities.

* * *

**Thank you Paint the Fangirling Wolf-Dog, Midnight Luna, FK-17, and Jelsa777 for reviewing!**

**Please review!**


	27. Chapter 25: Orders

**RUHLSAR000 Here! You know the drill. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! ALL THAT LOVEABLY MOUSE!**** I apologize for errors and delays.**

* * *

_ "There you are." A clonetrooper says, entering a small garage on the bottom floor of the building they had been stationed in for all of a week. With it being so out of the way and being so small, the clone in charge of repairs had found little use of the place. Though it seemed his captain has. "What you got there, Captain Blue?" the clonetrooper asks, looking at his friend and commanding officer, whose arm is crammed into an astromech. A very old astromech by the looks of the model and faded red and white paint. _

_ "A bag of push ups for anyone who calls me 'Blue'." The captain says as he wipes off some grease off his forehead with a rag._

_ The clonetrooper rolls his eyes, well used to the snark. But really, his friend had a genetic mutation that made his eyes blue and his black hair a shade darker than most resulting in a blue sheen. What did he expect? "No need for that snark." The clonetrooper's eyes twinkle with mischief. "That's it! From now on you're Snark."_

_ The captain chuckles, giving a shrug, "I can live with that. Certainly warns people, eh?" The newly dubbed Snark picks up a wrench._

_ "So, what you got there?" The clone trooper asks._

_ Snark looks at him, shooting into a "Really?" look. "Geez, I don't know, Topper. It looks like an astromech to me. But what do I know?"_

_ "How did we not come up with that name before?" Topper asks, causing them to both to chuckle. "Well?" Topper asks, still expecting an explanation._

_ "Found this old astromech in that scrap shop, he didn't look too beat up. Especially for the price they were asking. Since he's an out of date model, they couldn't get parts to fix him. But I figured..." Snark grunts, shoving something into place. "I could jerry-rig something. We're going to need all the astromechs we can get. Pass me that screwdriver." Snark points to a screwdriver on garages bench, just out of reach._

_ "If you say so." Topper shrugs, hands him the screwdriver in question. "So, the General arrives tomorrow."_

_ Snark groans. "What does a peacekeeper know about fighting a war?"_

_ "They are skilled warriors." Topper says, sitting down on the bench._

_ "Warriors don't win wars. After all, there is more to war than fighting." Snark says, "What of troop positions? What of tactics? What of morale? What are they going to know of those? I've been trained since the crib to be a soldier, hand selected to be more intensively trained as a captain. Yet, I still doubt my own capabilities as a soldier, let alone a captain." He grabs another gear and then he growls out, "And what if this general thinks we're no better than droids and treats us as such. Am I to order hundreds of men to their deaths in a plan I know will fail just because the General doesn't think us as valuable as regular soldiers... regular lives..."_

_ "So that's what this is about..." Topper says, looking at the droid. That's got to be why he is putting so much work into the thing that is better left in the scrap pile. "Your worried we are just like the droids."_

_ "No, Topper." Snark says, checking the systems one last time. "I am worried that the droids are like us."_

_ Topper looks at his captain confused, "What's the difference?"_

_ Snark gives a chuckle, "Everything in the galaxy, Topper. Everything in the galaxy." He closes the panel and starts the astromech up. Slowly, the astromech looks around, beeping. "Hello, C1-10P, welcome to the ranks of the clonetroopers."_

* * *

Chopper watches the crew. Strain is clearly painted on them. And if Chopper could display emotions, it would be on him to. He knows it's stupid, but he keeps expecting Ezra to run through the door yelling at him for zapping him, for dismantling his bed. Or for Ezra to come and play some game with Zeb. Or to jokingly flirt with Sabine. It's only been a day since he was captured. Kanan, unsurprisingly, seems to be taking it the worse. Chopper can't take it and rolls out of the room.

Kanan sighs, standing though he is clearly exhausted, "Alright, we've got a job to do."

Hera nods, "Right. Set course for Mustafar." Zeb and Sabine nod, getting up from the common room seating area.

"I doubt they'll take him," Kanan says. Everyone looks at him. "One, they know that we know that is where they normally take Jedi prisoners. Two, they know we are crazy enough to storm it." The others nod. "Three. They are going to try and break him. To get him to join the Dark side. Like his sister."

The crew's expression darkens. The Empire will use his sister to break him. If that doesn't turn him, it will hurt. A lot. Sabine puts her hand to her chin, "They have to have a place where they train them."

"I'll search our contacts." Hera says. "I'll see if I can contact Tamara too, she probably has a wealth of contacts in the Empire."

"I'll see if I can contact him through our bond." Kanan says, getting up and going to his room. But before he gets to his room, he sees Zeb and Ezra's room's door is open. He looks inside and sees Chopper. "Hey..."

Chopper beeps in surprise and tries to leave. Kanan kneels down, "It's alright. We all miss him. And we will get him back." Chopper beeps in agreement. He will get protect his friend. For him, for the crew, and for Snark and Miranda.

* * *

_ "They've docked." Topper says, looking at the communication board._

_ "Well, C1, you ready to meet a Jedi." Snark looks down at his newly painted blue and green astromech. The astromech whorls in response. "Couldn't have said it better myself." Snark nods._

_ "What did he say?" Topper raises an eyebrow._

_ "Something too profound for that little head of yours." Snark lives up to his name. Chopper beeps a laugh._

_ "You have no idea what he said, do you?" Topper cocks an eyebrow._

_ "Nope," Snark pops the p. Chopper roles into his leg. "Easy, my friend. Easy."_

_ The bridge door slides open. Two people walk in. One is a woman in her early thirties but looks in her late twenties. The other is a girl about sixteen. The woman looks down at the scene. "For future reference, I would advise against ticking off your astromech. The good ones are the ones you can offend. Those ones can also strand you on a deserted planet as a means of revenge."_

_ "Speaking from personal experience." Snark snarks, without thinking._

_ "You will not use that tone with my master, Captain." The sixteen year old says, far stiffer than any sixteen year old should be allowed to be. "She is your commanding officer, your general." Snark immediately figures out that this girl is in dire need of a chill pill. Then, what she says kicks in. So, this is his general. He finally looks her over._

_ He is stunned. He thought the Kaminoians had removed anything close to attraction to the opposite sex from the clones' DNA. Clearly that isn't the case as he finds the Jedi before him beautiful. Especially her eyes. They are the same deep blue as the seas of Kamino during a rare calm day. Her dark brown hair is held up in braided loops, keeping it out of those lovely eyes. Everything about her felt calm, safe, warm._

_ "What's your name, Captain?" The Jedi asks, calmly. Snark gives her his birth number. "I asked for your name not you birth number." She scowls._

_ Snark smirks, "They call me Snark."_

_ She tilts her head, raising an eyebrow, "I am surprised they don't call you Blue."_

_ "They tried." Snark says, deadpanned. He smirks, "I just snarked at anyone who did."_

_ "A well earn name then." The Jedi smiles. "I am Jedi Knight Miranda Akatsukin. This is my padawan, Zara DeLune." Zara bows formally._

_ Snark raises an eyebrow, "I wasn't told about two Jedi."_

_ "Then, you best deal with it." Miranda says. It takes Snark a moment to realize she is teasing him by snarking at him. Granted, the natural tone of her voice makes snarks rather difficult for her. "Now, tell me what you think about Jedi becoming generals." Snark really had no response for that. If he says how he really feels, that would put a strain on their working relationship. He lies they sense it. "Don't worry," Miranda smirks, seeming to know his thoughts. "I don't agree with the Jedi becoming generals. After all, what do peacekeepers know of fighting wars?"_

_ "Master!" Zara gasps. Snark gets the feeling he is going to enjoy getting her wound up. It is so easy._

_ "Hush." Miranda orders. Zara closes her mouth immediately. "It's true I know more about stopping conflicts than fighting in one. So I will be relying on you to aid in my decision-making. And if for some reason, I am making a very bad decision, then I want you to tell me. If there is no time, then disobey me. I want to minimize the lose of life, organic and mechanic." Miranda pats C1 on its dome. "A good solider know how to follow orders. The best know when not to. And you are suppose to be the best of the best." Snark, for all his worry, knows he is going to like her. A lot._

_ "Master... I am confused... You've never disobeyed the Council." Zara says, tilting her head._

_ "Well, I'm no solider. And just because I never disobey the Council, doesn't mean I always agree with it or tell them unimportant details." Miranda smirks. Zara looks away, uncomfortably, but nods. Snark feels like he is missing out on something between the two of them._

_ A red light starts flashing as an alarm rings. "The seps are advancing." Topper yells as he pulls up a hologram of the city. The sep are fifteen minutes out._

_ The troops are currently in blocks. "Our tanks won't get through their shields."_

_ "Where's the planet's star?" Miranda asks._

_ "About here. Why?" Topper points to an area over some building._

_ Snark smirks, pulling out his coms. "Dari, get your division to the tops of buildings A113 and A115." He looks at the Jedi, "Dari is in charge of the sharp shooting units."_

_ "The light should provide them cover, but they won't be able to destroy many droids. Especially past this point." Zara points to a spot where lower buildings would start to block their shots._

_ "We put a division here." Miranda says, a red block appearing where she touched._

_ "A single division won't stand up." Snark glowers. A stupid mistake already? That's a bad sign for the future._

_ "Which is why they fain retreat to here." Miranda moves the block back. "Where our remaining divisions come in from the sides and the back."_

_ "Surrounding them." Snark smirks. "But what makes you think they'll take the bait"_

_ "The draw of capturing two Jedi this early in the war, they'll take the bait." Miranda smirks._

_ "This plan is crazy." Zara says in a measured voice._

_ "Padawan, it is alright to be afraid as long as you don't let it stop you." Miranda says. Zara glares at her master. "Captain Snark. Commander Topper. I am counting on you to lead the troops in."_

_ "Ma'am." Both say._

_ Zara and Miranda rush to the lift. Once inside, Zara turns to her master, "Were you… flirting, Master?"_

_ "What would give you that idea, my foolish padawan?" Miranda tilts her head, confused._

* * *

Kanan blasts the stormtrooper, with his signature cocky one liner. "Come on, Chopper." Kanan takes control of the walker. This is literally identical to the time Kanan was capture, Chopper notes.

Kanan sighs. If this is what it felt like for his crew when he was captured, he owed them an apology. "Zeb!" Kanan yells, as they are hit from behind.

"On it!" Zeb jumps onto the roof and starts blasting. Kanan groans, there is a fog around his padawan's Force signature, making it impossible to find or even know if he is okay. But he is alive, that's for sure, and that's enough to drive the crew forward.

"Karablast! Specter 1! Time to go!" Zeb yells.

"Anything Chopper!" Kanan shouts. Chopper beeps a no. "Give us a few more minutes."

"Karablast! Just like last time!" Zeb grabs Kanan and throws him into the _Phantom_. Kanan barely has time to dodge Chopper flying in.

"We're in!" Zeb yells. Hera gets clear of the walker which trips as they leave. A few quick maneuvers and they get rid of the Tie.

"How'd it go?" Hera asks.

"It didn't." Kanan says, rubbing his forehead. The need for a drink stronger than it has been in years. Hera looks down. All their contacts, from the Rebellion to Visago have failed. Vivi had made them promise to find him and Talia. She was quite upset, but put on a stiff upper lip.

Tamara hadn't known anything but promised to check her contacts for anything. They hadn't heard anything, yet.

* * *

_ "Miranda!" Snark yells, going to shoot the droid coming from behind her. Miranda, not even looking, swings her lightsaber behind her, destroying the droid. "Now you're just showing off." Snark smirks at his partner._

_ "This is getting really repetitive." Miranda sigh. "Thanks for the warning."_

_ "No problem, Sweetheart." Snark smile, sending a sideways glance._

_ "Now you're just flirting." Miranda nods slightly, then sends a sideways glance the other way. Snark smirks._

_ "This is just embarrassing." A battle droid says._

_ "Should we interrupt them? What's the protocol in this situation?" Another battle droid says, looking at his companions._

_ "Protocol is you get dismantled." Miranda smirks, jumping and slashing through three battle droid. Snark blasts three more._

_ "Should have seen that coming..." The last remaining droid says before Miranda slashes through it._

_ An explosion happens about a mile away, near the other part of the battle. "What did you call it? A never ending pain in the neck?" Snark says._

_ "Something less PG." Miranda says, before screaming and collapsing. A droideka crawls forward, shields up._

_ Snark mumbles something less PG as he sees another rolling his way and his blaster is useless against them. He grabs the Jedi and drags her behind some pieces of destroyed buildings. "You alright?"_

_ "I'll live." Miranda winces, putting pressure on the wound. A blast goes over their heads. "If we don't get blasted." She adds. "Plan?"_

_ "Working on it." Snark says, glancing over the makeshift barrier. He ducks quickly._

_ A loud whorling sound comes from nowhere, distracting the droids._

_ The pair looks behind the barrier. "C1!" Snark yells, seeing the familiar droid. "That fool's going to get himself killed."_

_ "We have to move." Miranda says. Snark puts her arm over his shoulder and they begin to move._

_ Zara comes from nowhere lands on one droid, sinking her lightsaber into the droid, before jumping over and destroying the other. "Master!" She races to the two of them._

_ "Zara. I need you to take Miranda back to the ship." Snark says._

_ Zara looks at him, "No. You take her."_

_ "There isn't time-" Snark starts._

_ Zara interrupts, "Then, don't argue. The troops can't have both their Jedi taken off the battle field."_

_ "She's right, Snark. Remember Callili..." Miranda says._

_ "I am assuming you are talking about the first time." Snark says. Then looks at Zara. "Your mother nearly took my head off."_

_ "And that is the only reason you found out about that." Zara says. "Go!"_

_ "Zara, stay alive!" Miranda yells as Snark drags her away. Snark shoots C1 a look. C1 stays close to Zara providing any assistance needed._

* * *

Empire Day. Those two words bring frustration to everyone's mind. It's the anniversary of their enemy being created. For Kanan, it is worse. It is the anniversary of the day his people died. The anniversary of the day that his world was destroyed

Ezra's birthday. Those two words bring a joy that he was born. Their friend and comrade. Had he been there, they would have celebrated, with Zeb no doubt making a joke about his height and Chopper zapping both of them and everyone laughing. But he is not, so they are filled with a longing for him. Three weeks, that's how long he has been in the Empire's hands. They all know people can crack in far less time.

The move of the main rebel base from Datoonie to Yavin IV. Tamara sent word that Sonya was getting close to figuring out where the base was. Command figured it would be best to leave before she figured it out and reported to the higher ups. The move would confuse Sonya's system and throw her further off figuring out the new base.

Chopper has a hard time believing all three events are happening on the same day. Today, to be precise. And the crew reflects it. There is a melancholy that won't let up. Everyone loads what the _Ghost_ has been designated to carry, but instead of laughs and jokes and banter, there are sighs and silence.

Sabine pushes the last crate in. She sighs, "So, this is it..."

Kanan and Hera look at her. Hera tilts her head, "What do you mean?"

"You can't tell me that I am the only one who was hoping Ezra would find a way to free himself and be waiting here for us when we come back from a mission?" Sabine says. And in all honesty, they can't. Chopper knows it. The breaths Sabine, Hera and Zeb hold when they land becoming sighs when nothing comes. Kanan going to his room, looking like he wrestling the weight of a planet. Chopper, himself, just stays on the ship and wandered its corridors. No, they all hoped it.

"Sabine..." Kanan starts, but sighs, not having anything to say. What could he say?

Zeb gruffs, "Hey, come on. If the kid is can get to Datoonie, he can get to Callili."

Sabine nods, "Yeah." This earns a light but worried smile from everyone.

* * *

_ "We are nuts." Miranda says._

_ "Having second thoughts?" Snark ask, somewhere between playful and serious._

_ "Never." Miranda smiles back at him. "Though, you think we should be recording this?" She looks at C1. C1 beeps indignantly. "Yes, I know they'd have to rip out your hard drive before you showed it to anyone. I am sorry, Jatne Beskar'ad. Shall we begin?" Her mando'a comes in a thick accent, but C1 beeps in pride at being called the best droid._

_ "I love you so much. From the first moment I met you, you've changed how I view the galaxy." Snark smiles, taking her hand. "__Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde."_

_ Miranda smiles. Snark is doing this by the book, even though the last bit didn't apply to them. Children could never be in the picture. "__Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde." And with that, they are husband and wife._

* * *

One and a half months. That's how long it has been since their favorite padawan had been captured. Chopper rolled down the hall. Everyone looked in need of a good prank, but in all honesty Chopper didn't have the energy to pull one. He remembers how Zara asked Snark why he allowed pranks once, probably within a month of meeting each other. Snark had said it allows them to relax and decreases the tension, so it was good for mental health. Zara, being the stick in the mud she was, had called it ridiculous. Snark, during the last year of the Clone Wars, mentioned she had changed, but Chopper had never seen it.

Chopper stops in the hall. He failed Snark. He can't bring his crew out of this slump. He couldn't prevent Snark's son from getting captured. In frustration, he rolls himself against the wall and then hits his dome against it. Why does it hurt... Failing his friend, losing a member of his crew. Why? He is a droid. He doesn't feel pain. As the down right awful man who owned him after Snark pointed out so much. But, he does. Maybe not as much as an organic. Maybe just as much. He didn't know. But it does hurt. Chopper straightens himself out.

He notices Zeb and Ezra's room's door is open. That's isn't surprising anymore. Everyone sneaks in once in a while. He looks in. He sees Hera pick up the stuff Tooka from under Ezra's pillow. She hugs it, and let's out a gasp of cry.

Chopper lets out a sad beep. Hera jumps, "Chopper..." She puts the tooka back, and wipes her eyes. "Don't worry will find him." Hera says, in a shaky voice. Chopper knows that voice. She's losing hope. Everyone is losing hope. Everyone is hurting. And everyone needs everyone to be strong. But, can they be?

"_Of course, we will."_ Chopper beeps out, _"And when we do, he'll be half way to the Ghost. He's too stubborn to wait for a rescue_."

Hera smiles, weakly, "Yeah, he is. I'd better go prep for our next op." Hera leaves.

_Yeah,_ Chopper thinks, _He is too much like his parents. He'll survive_.

* * *

_ "I don't like this." Miranda says, in Mando'a to her husband through the secure channel. Zara and Tamara nod in agreement, but stay quiet. "Why did the Kaminoians not inform the Jedi about implanting a chip in the heads of the clones?"_

_ "I don't know. But, it's not active right now. Worrying isn't good for the baby." Snark says, rubbing the bandages wrapped around his head. A recent head injury had prompted a scan, thus revealing the chip. "General Billaba isn't too concerned about it, however Commander Dume is concerned and questioning why it is there."_

_ "When isn't he?" Zara smiles fondly, speaking in Mando'a. "Keep him out of trouble for me. Heaven knows, He wanders into it easily enough."_

_ "I'll do my best, but we hardly ever see each other except in passing. He spends more time with Captain Styles. You keep Miranda calm?" Snark says. Miranda looks indignant._

_ "I'll try but I am no miracle worker." Zara say. Miranda jaw drops as she looks from her padawan and her husband, who is about to fall over laughing from the rare gem of her padawan's humor. Zara's face darkens, "Maybe... The chip is an order waiting to activate."_

_ "Who would have the authority to do that?" Tamara asks. "The clones are loyal to the Jedi."_

_ "The Chancellor. The clones' loyalty to the Jedi is second only to the Republic." Zara says, gravely. "C1, if that order whatever it is activates, zap Snark in the head until the chip malefactions."_

_ "Hey!" Snark shouts, as the camera shakes a bit from the droid agreeing._

_ "I mean it. I don't trust the Chancellor. It feels like he is manipulating the Senate and this war to gain power... At this point, I doubt even the Senate can oppose him. He is the only one besides the Council to have direct control of the clone armies. Having a subconscious order in them that has been kept secret worries me. Especially when it is clear that the Council is unaware of it." That's right, Snark remembers. General Billaba is on the High Council. If she clearly didn't know, then the Council doesn't know._

_ "We don't even know that it is an order. For all we know, it could be skills to help the clone assimilate after the war." Tamara says, though she clearly doubts that and is only using it to make a point. "How about next time you save Callili from the Seps, we get it removed and check to see what is on it. You'll even get to meet your kid." Tamara smiles. Snark feels bittersweet about that. "Come on Zara. Let__'s leave the love birds alone." Zara nods, not wanting to see how much sap those two can produce, and the two leave._

_ Miranda sighs. Snark looks at her, worried, "What's wrong, Love?"_

_ Miranda looks at him, "Something isn't right about all of this."_

* * *

Chopper wanders the halls of the new rebel base, a little to get used to it and a little to get away from depression center. Kanan had just sensed a strong feeling of darkness through the fog surrounding Ezra. Kanan is trying hard to contact Ezra, but that's all they can do. They've exhausted every lead they can think of and then some to find their missing crewmember, and failed. The atmosphere of three helpless rebels is more than enough for Chopper to bail on them.

_What's going on, Ezra? Where are you? Are you alright? _Chopper runs into someone.

"Sorry Chopper..." Chopper recognize the voice as D, but... That can't be D. Sure, she looks like D, but her shoulders are hunched and a frown is etched into her face, making her seem fragile. Her eyes are so dull, with the only spark being fear. Even her hair seems less springy. Like... Like Ezra after he found out about Sonya... Chopper beeps at her. "I'm fine." D tries to smile, but it doesn't appear to be anything close to a smile. "Just tired. And frustrated. Sage took me off missions. And I just know it because he doesn't trust me anymore. Half the cell thinks I am a traitor..."

Chopper beeps at her. "Thanks. Nice to know someone believes in me." D seems to perk up, if only a little. "How's the search for Padawan going?" Chopper is silent. "He'll be-" D stops mid-sentence, staggering a little, as if hit by a large wave. "Whoa... What was-That was nothing. Nothing. I did not sense anything." D says, more to reassure herself than tell Chopper anything. "I am going to see if I can make myself useful."

Chopper rolls back to the _Ghost_. Everyone is in the common room. Even Ahsoka. Weird. But, not as weird as the looks of pure relief on everyone's faces. Hera smiles at Chopper, "The fog cleared. Kanan was able to sense him. And not just Kanan. Ahsoka, too." Chopper beeps in astonishment. "Really. We still don't know where he is. But he's safe and unharmed and out of the Empire's hands. We'll find him." Chopper whorls in delight.

* * *

_ The chip has been activated. That is the only reason C1 can think of that Snark is trying to kill a Jedi. He sees Snark take aim at the padawan. C1 rams into the Snark, causing him to miss the shot. Miss may be a bit optimistic. It clips the padawan hard enough that he is knock over to the ground, hard. But the shot doesn__'t kill him. The padawan tries to crawl away, but collapses down. "The Jedi have betray the-" _

_ C1 zaps him in the head, beeping, "You'll thank me later." _

_ "Ow! What the He-" C1 zaps him, again. "The Jedi have-" C1 zaps him, again. Then he plays a small portion of the recording of his wedding. "Miranda..." Snark's eyes go wide. The padawan looks at them in fear._

_ C1 beeps, "Come on clones aren't droids. They don't follow orders blindly." He zaps him again._

_ "C1, stop-" Snark says. C1 zaps him, again. "For the love of-" C1 zaps him, again. "I'm good, you useless piece of-" C1 zaps him once more for good measure, though this one is to his shoulder as oppose to his head. "You're enjoying this." C1 whacks him with his metal arm._

_Snarks eyes widen as he quickly checks over his shoulder. He grabs his blaster and shoots towards the padawan. The padawan flinches, knowing he can't move. C1 zaps Snark in the head, again, and then turns to the padawan, worried. But the blast didn't hit the boy._

_ Instead, the boy is hidden in the triangle created by a large panel that had formerly been hanging above him and a pile of timber._

_ Snark gets to his feet, quickly. Two clone troopers run over to them. "The padawan ran this way. Have you seen him?" One asks._

_ "No, Styles. He must have double back to loose you." Snark lies. "I'll stay here, incase he comes back."_

_ "Right." The two stormtroopers run off._

_ After the two are well out of sight, Snark lives up to his name, "Take choice away and we become idiots, lovely." Then he runs to the padawan. He lifts the panel up. And is face to face with a blue lightsaber blade. "Should have seen that coming..." He looks at the terrified kid, gulping. He had clipped the kid good. "Kid, I'm not going to hurt you." The padawan glares at him, looking almost feral. Snark remembers the Jedi Code, "C1 give the kid my rifle." C1 beeps in surprise but does as he is told. The padawan stares in surprise. "It's going to be a little more useful than a sword, given how much you can move." The padawan takes the blaster, not removing his eyes or his blade from Snark's face. Snark sighs and uses his old fall back, humor, "Well, now we know what those chips were for..." It's weak and he knows it. "Don't worry, this guy." He points to C1. "Zapped me enough to disable mine." C1 holds out a metal hand, and whorls. "Yeah, I'll bet it was your pleasure."_

_ "That holo... That was of you and Knight Akatsukin..." The padawan says._

_ "Yes..." Snark nods._

_ "You love her..." the padawan says._

_ "More than anything. Well, except for our kid. And I haven't even met him or her." Snark smiles. The Padawan gasps in shock. "Come on, we need to get you out of here. Can't walk?" The padawan shakes his head. "Let me help." The padawan looks at him, before deactivating his lightsaber. Snark pulls his arm under the padawan__'s arm and helps him up._

_ After a few steps, the padawan says, angrily, "This doesn't change how I feel about you and your brothers. Or what your brothers did to Master Billaba."_

_ "Wouldn't expect it to." Snarks sighs. The clones have betrayed the Jedi__… That hasn__'t really settled on him yet._

_They sneak into an airfield, but stay hidden in an alley. It's crawling with clones. "Well that's not helpful." Snark glowers._

_ "How are we going to get through that?" the Padawan asks._

_ C1 is quiet than beeps._

_ "What do you mean 'As soon as it's clear, go, get to the first ship, take off and don't look back'?" Snark asks. C1 shoots into the airfield. "C1!" Snark is supporting the padawan's weight. He can't rush off and stop his friend._

_ C1 causes chaos among the clones, racing about and about zapping people. He was even able to ignite a fuel tank. C1 sees a ship blast off. If he could, he'd smile. Time to make himself scarce._

* * *

Ahsoka walks up to Kanan, Hera, and Chopper, with a large smile. "I have a pick up mission for you guys. Oh, take D with you. Heaven knows she needs it."

* * *

**What time is it? Thank You Time! Thank you Skypeoplephoenix732 for following. Awesome name. I love phoenixes. Thank you Midnight Luna, xEPICxBULLSEYEx, Paint the Fangirling Wolf-Dog, Jelsa777, Chiibe the Rebel and FK-17. FK, last chapter wasn****'t early, it was a special. Now back to the plot! Which may or may not include a chapter on what Talia is doing. That idea has latched its claws into my head and won****'t let go.**

**Question Time: Is there a scene in Ner Vod have you read multiple time? If so, what is it and why?**


	28. Chapter 26: The Master and The Padawan

**RUHLSAR000 Here! And last week was insane. I sprained my ankle in an unusual way and caught a cold. Next week is insane. A presentation, a midterm, two sets of calc homework, and have to write a code. And all before hump day. Any who... I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! ALL HAIL THE MOUSE! I apologize for errors, delays, and long-winded author's notes.**

"Breath in, breath out. Focus on your center. Feel the flowings of the Force." Her master says eyes closed.

"Why are we doing this, Master Moana?" Talia slouches.

"Don't slouch." Moana says, not even opening her eyes. "It is important to feel the Force. There are things the Force can tell us many a things."

Talia groans, "My legs are kriffing asleep."

"Do not swear. You are a padawan, a represented of the Jedi Order." Moana opens her eyes and looks at the child. This is a mistake. She hasn't even properly separated from her bond with Zara, as muted as it has become. "Or you will be meditating on your use of language."

Talia sees it on her master's face. She doesn't need the Force to know what she is thinking. Talia sighs, getting up.

"Where are you going?" Moana says.

"I can't sit still for a minute more." Talia groans, shifting her weight, as standing on one to long causes pain to shoot through her leg. She dances out of the room, trying to regain the feeling in her legs.

Moana rubs her head. Talia has no patience. Why is she even doing this? She should have dropped her off at the nearest port when she rescued her last week. Moana sighs, because the Force willed it. The Force works in mysterious ways. She has to trust it, no matter how crazy it seems.

* * *

Moana groans, hearing the sonic shower going down the hall. She shoves her pillow over her head. Moana doesn't sleep in. She's up at 0700, everyday.

Talia is a teenager. Moana doesn't remember much about teenagers, but several fights to drag her padawan out of bed, in spite of Zara who was as close to the perfect Jedi as one can be without going insane, suggests that the Jaws of Life should be required to get them up. It's not like she goes to bed early. It's been a month and the only pattern Moana can find for her sleep habits is no pattern. In fact, Moana is seriously considering giving her a bedtime. Though that would go over so well. Moana nods off for what feels like a minute until her alarm goes off. Moana groans, getting up.

Moana gets up and shoves on her robe. She needs to make them breakfast. She walks into the kitchen, and hears the familiar ding of the toaster. "Glad your up, Mo- Master." Talia looks up, from the pan. She cringes at the word "Master". It's not like a slave master… She still doesn't like I, thought. It feels wrong. "I figured I might as well make breakfast… I hope you don't mind…"

Moana smiles, "Not at all, Young One." Talia looks down to the pan, smiling to herself. Things weren't exactly easy between them. And Talia can't fight the foreign feeling of not belonging and walking on egg shells. Maybe things are looking up. Talia moves the eggs to the plates as Moana gets the toast from the toaster. Talia and Moana sit down.

"So what's the game plan?" Talia asks.

"I am going on a mission supplied by my rebel contact. You will be meditating during that time." Moana states.

"So you get to be a cool rebel spy and I'm stuck hitting my head against a kriffing wall." Talia sighs, talking through a mouth full of food. This isn't what she signed up for.

"Language." Moana sighs, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. "And don't talk with your mouth full." Seriously, did no one teach this girl table manners? "Didn't your parents teach you table manners?"

Talia rolls her eyes. Unlike most takens, her parents aren't much of a sore point for her. It's not like she remembers them... "Master, I could be more help."

"No, your lightsaber combat skills are still no where near ready. You don't even have a lightsaber yet. And you, yourself, have admitted to not being good with a blaster." Moana states.

Talia grits her teeth, "Then it is a good thing I don't use a blaster. Give me fifteen minutes with a few pieces of junk, and I'll make my weapons."

"My answer remains the same." Moana picks up her plate and goes to the cockpit. She is not risking Talia's life pointlessly.

Talia groans hitting her hand against the table.

* * *

"Are you alright?" Talia asks looking into the cockpit. Hyperspace still takes Talia's breath away. It is a beautiful sight that she never thought she'd see. Night has always been her favorite time, in spite of its dangers and safeties.

Moana sighs from the pilot seat, "Just thinking of my family."

"I thought Jedi weren't allowed attachments." Talia asks, recalling Ezra's stories.

Moana looks over at her, clearly surprised, "Where did you here that?"

"A friend… In some ways, a lot of ways, my brother." Talia takes a seat in the copilot seat. "He's actual a member of the rebellion now…" And a padawan. Talia doesn't add that. It isn't her place to tell and it isn't any of Moana's business. Better to keep other Jedi secret in case one of the few is compromised.

Moana sighs. "I never was overly fond of that rule. Normally, cutting out the root is a good way to deal with the problem. However, this… There is no cutting out the root. And in trying, it cut off the Jedi from learning to deal with attachment. Far more dangerous in my opinion."

"If you don't mind me asking… What were they like?" Talia asks.

"They're amazing. The light in a galaxy turned so dark. My hopes, my dreams, my everything was wrapped around them. It still is in some ways. My husband… What can I say about him? No words can do him justice. But if forced, I'd say he had more compassion than most knights and even a few masters, braver than the Hero With No Fear, far more quick witted than was his own good. And he passed all those traits on to our children. My daughter and my son… They weren't angels by any means. And I glad of that. They shared a Force bond stronger than anything I've ever seen. They never left each other's sides. Their first words where completing each other's sentences. Zara even said when she tried to leave the room with one of them, they both started crying until they were together again. And they were only a few days old. My daughter…

"She's her father's daughter. She certainly got his tongue. But she also got his heart, and then some. She was able to naturally use Force healing. She had love for everyone. And gave it more than willingly. My son… He's so intelligent, able to grasp concepts far above his age just by watching. He had a million questions. He was just as likely to go find the answers himself as ask them. He has so much heart, too." She used present tense then, Talia notes. Her son is alive…but not here. Talia sighs, letting the topic go. That's too painful to ask.

Talia looks out the window. "Tha whole tribe's my family. There were fifteen of us when I left… There's Cely Cross. Call her CC and she'll shoot you. She's a fighter and kind. Never been one to be stopped by anything. There are the twins, Mzia and Yue Wakahisa. They… They're just as strong willed as Cely, just as kind. They can communicate without looking, without speaking. Yue is the quiet one, if either is quite one, which I don't know if there is. Trust is absolute among the tribe, so we all would come out of our shells.

"There are the Little Ehn, Aeries, Caleb, and Rodi. They are siblings and best friends. Aeries is their leader and one of the most experienced of the tribe. Best shot in the tribe, too. After me of course."

Talia smiles as she closes her eyes. Miranda smiles at Talia. "Caleb loved stories, especially ones about Jedi. And it shows. After he shunned his birth name, he took the name of the padawan in his favorite story. Rodi is a bit shy but always goes along with their crazy adventures to help. They gave me more headaches than I can count. Then little Vivi. She's a handful and a great shot. She is so curious and she often followed Aeries around. There is Zhu. He's a little nerd, always pondering the mysterious of the galaxy. Cloe, she's a bit of a fashionista when allowed, but she understands that comes second. She makes most of the clothes we made in the tribe. She can do amazing things with scraps. She knitted my poncho… There's Alex, too. No matter how hard he has it, he puts a smile on and laughs."

"A rare gift." Moana smiles

"Indeed. And things have been hard for him... His brother, biological brother, died not that long ago." Talia sighs, "There is Sophia. Our resident genius. At least, she is to us. She's the teacher. Things we'd have never learn otherwise because we simply did have the opportunity. She and Alex are our best drivers, too. Parts is an annoying droid who will follow us anywhere. My brother made him.

"There is Collin, too. He is always looking to do right, by us and himself. He… He was injured when I was capture…" Talia leans against the window, gently touching the window. She closes her eyes, pulling back her tears.

"I am sure he is okay." Moana reassures her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

A pit forms in Talia's stomach, "No… I don't think he is…" That feeling she got, buried under her own worry and denial that her sacrifice didn't save both of them, when she captured. Now, looking back… She doesn't know. She prays he is okay. Her finger's dance across the window, tracing little loops

Moana looks down. What can she say… "That's thirteen. What about the other two?"

"I'm one. The other is… was… my boyfriend, Orin Tiye. He is the logic to my passion, just as I am the logic to his passion. We have known each other since we were six. We didn't particularly care for each other. Not that we hated each other. Things were just harder then. Then we met the boy who became our brother. Never have I met anyone as compassionate towards his fellow sentient as my brother. I probably never will. Everything got better after that, little by little." Talia smiles.

"What of your parents?" Moana asks.

"Never met them. The Tribe took care of me and I of them." Talia sighs.

* * *

"You could have gotten yourself KILLED!" Moana yells, absolutely floored.

"I just saved you hide!" Talia shouts back.

"I had it under control!" Moana yells.

"Oh, yeah, you kriffin had it under control. That's Shab and you know it." Talia slams her foot down.

"Do not use that language with me. I am your teacher and you will respect me as such!" Moana glowers. Zara would have never talk back at her like this.

"Kriff! Shab! Kark! Skrog! Fierfek! Huttslime! Droyk! Frackled!" Talia shouts a handful of her colorful vocabulary, not caring if she pisses off Moana more. No, that's not true. She wants to make Moana mad.

Moana's nostrils flare. "It's called a trap, Young One! I had the inquisitors right where I wanted them! And then you show up and nearly get us both killed!"

"How the Crink was I suppose to know that, Laserbrain! You never tell me anything!" Talia shouts, not realizing she called Moana a laserbrain.

Moana tries to calm down, but she is certain this twi'lek would push Master Yoda up the wall. "It's called trusting someone else!"

"That doesn't work for me! I need to know what is going around me!" Talia shouts.

"You will never be a Jedi with that attitude. You'll never be good at anything but looking after yourself and only yourself." Moana says.

Talia's whole being darkened. Talia remembers her days in the Fire Tribe. The time when that was true. She doesn't deny that. But… Was it still true? She fought to learn how to look after others. But… Was it in vain? Was she really that useless? "Then… I guess we are kriffin done."

Moana, as angry as she is, raise an eyebrow.

"Take me back to Lothal! We are kriffin done!" Talia says, not raising her head.

"Fine! I'll go set course!" Moana says, marching past her to that cockpit.

Talia marches to her room. She takes her pillow and throws it against the wall. She collapses onto her bed, crying. Her stupid tongue had cost her what she wanted more than anything, to be better, to help the takens, to fight the Empire. It isn't a dream; she never had time to dream. But… she really wanted to be a Jedi.

Talia sighs, it is in the past, and nothing can change it. It's for the best. Moana didn't want to teach her anyway. She could feel it in Moana's Force signature. It is nothing new. She is used to not being wanted by most people.

Talia fights down tears. She can't waste water on that.

* * *

Talia looks down at the nearly empty backpack. She sighs. Slinging it over her shoulder she leaves the room. She pauses in the doorway and turns off the light. It over… That's life, Talia tells herself. Nothing lasts forever, and nothing should, no matter how much it hurt. It's not like she likes Moana. Or that she is eventually going to have to tell her tribe straight up that she can't travel with them. Then there are the trappers… Perhaps Lothal was a mistake… Too late now.

Talia walks slowly through the Corellian ship. Moana is at the ramp. She looks sad. Maybe… No. It is for the best. She doesn't expect Moana to say anything. But… Talia sighs, "Take care of yourself… and may the Wind guide you home." Her tribe's goodbye falls from her lips.

Moana turns to her. "Here," Moana hands her a small bag. Talia takes it, confused. She opens it and see about sixty credits. "It should help you get back to your tribe." Moana says. Though Moana can't remember any tribes from when she lived on Lothal, that doesn't mean they weren't there. They would take care of her.

"I can't accept this." Talia says, and for once it isn't because her trap sense is tingling. Money was tight for Moana. She had more need of it.

"I insist." Moana said, pushing the bag closer to her.

"Thanks… Thank you." Talia nods. walking towards the Capital.

Moana sighs, goes in and runs diagnostics. With the amount of repairs, she'd probably be her late into the night. She's also running low on supplies.

Moana gets stays up late into the night finishing repairs. She heads straight to bed.

Moana groans at the obnoxious buzzing sound. It's been going on for a while. She glances up. Her alarm is flashing. The numbers 08:34 flashing across it. She reaches up and turns it off. She slept through her alarm. But that's impossible. She's been waking up an hour earlier than her alarm for months… Because of Talia… Right.

Moana gets ups. The ship is quiet. Of course it is. For the past months, Talia had been humming and singing softly or she'd be making a meal or cursing when she fails a to do a form right…

Supplies. Right, she needs to get supplies. She grabs her credits and leaves after getting dressed. She needs to be careful, though. She secures her hood, obscuring her face from most angles. She walks through the market slowly gathering the supplies she need. She glances up and sees an Mr. Sunar at work selling his fruits.

She smiles, fondly, remembering when she and her husband and beautiful children first moved here. He and his wife had been so kind to them. She sighs. She can't be recognized. She ducks behind a few alleys, not keeping track of where she is heading.

She freezes as she sees where her feet have led her. She waves a hand, unlocking the residence. She steps inside and sighs this isn't the home she was dragged from. Her home was filled with light and laughter. This place is filled with cobwebs and dust. Still she walks to a room in the back. She looks at their heights mark on a faded painted tree. Her fingers brush over the last two lines. Her children had been so small when she was ripped from them. She glances around and sees a little stuffed tooka on her daughter's bed. She goes over and picks it up. She hugs it tight, sitting on the bed.

_Mommy! Tell us a story!_

_ Mommy… He had a nightmare…_

_ Mom!_

"My baby!" Moana cries, softly. She knows her son is okay, maybe not safe but happy nonetheless. But her daughter…

Moana sits there for a long time. But she eventually gathers herself. She needs to finish gathering her supplies. She puts the tooka in her bag.

Moana goes to a stand selling some fruit and pays for it. "Stop! You, thief!" The voice of a stormtrooper shouts.

Moana spins towards the voice and is nearly knock over by a nine year old sprinting through the market. Two stormtroopers race after her. Moana runs after them, the Force telling her to.

The troopers have the little girl cornered. The girl is desperately searching the walls. "Freeze!" One of the troopers shouts.

"Is there a problem gentlemen?" Moana asks. One turns to face her. The other keeps his blaster trained on the girl.

"We are just apprehending a thief, Ma'am. Nothing to see." The trooper says.

Moana looks at the girl. Poor thing looks half starved. "Was it food she stole?"

"Yes." The trooper is lying. Why?

"I am will to pay for what ever it is she stole." Moana says. Surprise echoes in the troopers' signature. But the girl fills with even more fear and suspicion than she is already has. Why? Something isn't adding up?

"That won't be necessary." The stormtrooper says. "We are required to bring her in."

"If I pay, I don't see what the problem is." Moana says.

The trooper grabs the girl. The girl lets out a shriek of pain. Moana grabs her blaster. A stick imbeds itself into the troopers shoulder, causing a scream.

All head shoot to the top of the back walls. Talia is standing there, smirking, a large D shaped thing in her hands. She puts her free hand on her hip, "Miss me, Hutt-spawns?"

"How the kriff did you get away after we shipped you off, you little piece of-" A trooper shouts, blaster trained on her.

"Language. There a child present," Talia smirks. She dodges the blasts from both troopers, jumping down. She throws a roundhouse kick at on a trooper's head before grabbing the other trooper and flinging him into the ground. The kicked trooper tries to punch her. She grabs one of her sharpened sticks as she dodges and rams it into his knee. Both groan. Talia kicks away there blasters, grabs their helmet and rips out the coms.

"Talia!" The little girl smiles. "The Wind Tribe is near?!"

"Ah… No, I got separated from them a few months ago." Talia looks down. "Let's get you home, Cam."

The girl, Cam, nods. Cam hides behind Talia as Moana steps forward. Talia smiles, sheepishly. "Hi Moana."

"What was all that?" Moana asks.

"It's… Nothing. Look, I've got to warn the Song Tribe." Talia says. Cam hides further behind her. Talia looks down at the girl."Moana is very much like Ebby. She freed me from the trappers and has… looked after me… Without asking anything in return."

"Really? That's weird." Cam tilts her head.

"How so?" Moana asked, confused. Why would looking after a child be weird?

"No one does. Not without wanting something in return. And it's never good." Cam says, as if it is a fact of life.

"We need to move. There are probably at least another half dozen trappers near." Talia says.

"Need help?" Moana asks.

Talia looks down at Cam and back to Moana. "I am breaking the Code. But I am not going blind with no back up."

"You trust her?" Cam says, stunned.

"I do." Talia says. Cam nods, taking Talia's hand. They sneak through the alleys. Moana is stunned by this Talia, the silent Talia. They sneak into an old warehouse.

Moana is instantly on edge. Of course, with five blasters shoved into her face it is a little hard not to be. The most disturbing thing is most couldn't be older than her twins.

"Easy she is an ally." Talia shouts, holding out her hands. Confusion and surprise radiate through the children. A young woman, about twenty-one, steps between them and the group of children, suspicion and surprise radiating off her. And frankly, between her studded leather jacket and the fact she is handling a blaster with the ease of experience, she is not someone to mess with.

"Talia! What the kriff! You know the rules! Huttslime! You wrote some of the rules!" She shouts.

"Agatha? What the kriff are you doing with the Song Tribe?" Talia asks, confusion lacing her voice.

"Jumped ship when I was rescued me a few months ago. When you were captured." Agatha says, then her eyes widen. "How did you escape?! And why did you bring a stranger here?"

"Agatha!" A seventeen-year-old rodian steps in. Moana senses distrust from him, though he hides it well. Scarily well. "That is no way to get information. Honey, not vinigor."

"We aren't cooking, Sweetheart." Agatha sighs.

The rodian looks at them. "Talia, it is good to see you are alright. But I must wonder how you got away." Moana feels he is nothing but honesty from him. But it is muted.

"I had aid of the woman who you all are aiming at. Besides, there are bigger issues than my infringement. Trappers are in town." Talia said. There is a… not a trust but a… Okay, a trust not to kriff each other over between them. "Have they already recovered from the assault on the base?"

"Sadly." Agatha says, looking down. "We need to move."

"Ah… The Wind Tribe?" Talia looks worried.

Agatha sighs, "I'm sorry. But we've heard nothing, seen nothing, and traded nothing in months. No one has."

Talia sucks in a breath. "I am sure Orin is leading them well…" But fear colors her face. "You seem to have adjusted to a care tribe rather quickly… May the Wind guide you home."

Agatha smiles, looking at the rodian. "It has."

Talia and Moana watch the Song tribe leaves into the sunset. Moana looks at Talia. "Where were the adults?"

"Adults?" Talia asks, confused. "The oldest of any of the tribes is Agatha. Surviving anyway."

"You're saying that your tribe has no one older than twenty one." Moana asks in shock.

"We have no one older than sixteen… seventeen." Talia shrugs. She missed Sophia's birthday… And Rodi's… And Ezra's…

"Who leads your tribe?" Moana asks, shocked.

"Right now…. What does it matter?" Talia sighs. "Not like I can go back."

"Why not?" Moana says, putting her hand on Talia's shoulder.

"Because our pact is over, I can tell you nothing." Talia says, shaking Moana's hand off. She scans the shadows of the alleys, but not really seeing anything. "We survive in shadows. It's an uneasy alliance, with all the dangers that it hides. But it hides us as well. It's all I know." Talia turns and starts walking away.

"Talia…" Moana stops her, turning her to face her. "I am trying to help you." Talia hates her tone, the one that sounds disappointed in her and as if she is being chastised. The tone only Moana has dared to use.

Talia spins around and looks at Moana. "You can't do anything. No one can! No one wants to! What can you do? What can you do against an Empire that want to turn us into slaves?! What can you do against a people who wants to forget us?! The children with nothing!" Talia shouts, her frustration at the world getting the better of her for once. Because it isn't fair. Because she has sucked it up her entire life. Because no matter how hard she tries, life just gets harder and harder. And when she does manage to find a little happiness, the universe comes along and takes it away. Why does she even try anymore?!

"I am fighting for people like you. I am trying end the Empire." Moana growls.

"What can one person do?! Nothing!" Talia shouts. "Or worse! It never gets any better. I've tried be strong but nothing ever changes."

Moana remembers why they decided to part ways. Talia is too filled with anger and has too little patience. Her emotions are too wild. "You'd never have become a Jedi."

Talia visibly flinches. "Whatever. I-" Talia's eye widen, as she feels the Force buzz against her face. She pushes Moana with all her might, and then fires an arrow at a trapper, nailing a nearby trapper.

"Kriffing huttslime of Jabba the kriffing Hutt's scutta." Talia says looking at the dart imbedded in her right hand, near her pinky.

Moana feels the fear radiating off her. "Talia… What's wrong?" An acceptance settles over her along with a sadness that Moana doesn't understand.

"I'm dead…" Talia says, getting out a cord and wrapping it around her wrist. "Could you tie this off for me…" Talia asks, unable to get it tight enough.

"What?" Moana looks at her startled.

"I don't have detox… And there is no way I'll be able to get to Goran City in time. No way I'd be able to pay for it. It's too expensive. I don't even get to say good-bye to anyone… I won't get a howling ash bush..." Talia says trying not to cry.

"No. I'll get this detox for you. You aren't going to die." Moana says, taking the cord and tying it as tight as she could. "Is that good?"

"Yeah… You'd do that?" Talia looks stunned.

"Of course." Moana says, lifting the child into her arms. Moana widen at how light Talia is, how tiny she is. Talia always seemed bigger. Like her personality fills the room, making people forget her real stature. But now, it is clear she has faced years of malnutrition and hardship. How had Moana missed that? Talia's eyes contain a weariness that Moana had only seen on veterans of war.

"Take the roofs. No one looks up." Talia advises. It scares Moana that this fifteen year old knows something she only picked up after a year on the battlefield.

Moana uses the Force to enhance her speed and jumps. She jumps to the roof and sprints through the town, unnoticed. She reaches her ship and straps Talia in. She speeds off. She is probably breaking several speed limits but she doesn't care.

Talia breathes in. "I wish I could actually meditate…" Talia tries will her pulse to slow. "Thank goodness it is a weak batch. They really have no quality control." Talia tries to give a weak smile

"Don't worry we'll get the detox. Where is it sold?"

"…The black market… By a guy with a monopoly on it…" Talia sighs, her voice etched with a difficulty of breathing.

"Don't worry. We'll get it." Moana gulps. In the far back of her mind, she wonders how Talia is so calm about this.

* * *

Moana doesn't like this part of town. This part of town is where you get beat up for looking at someone wrong. Trash litters the streets. Most shops are barely more than hovels with holes cut out. Most of the stores that do have glass windows have had them shattered. Everything seems dirtier than many places she's been.

Talia is cradled close to her. "Take a left…" Her voice is low. It had only been forty-five minutes and Talia's lungs are already having difficulty. Moana rushes around the corner into a dark thin alley. "Stop. Put me down." Talia says.

Moana does so. Talia stumbles to a door. She slams her fist against it, creating a loud knock that could be heard echoing through the alley. After a moment, she does so again.

A few moments later a middle age man with a large beer gut and a dirty shirt on opens the door. "Well, if it isn't the pretty little leader of tha Wind Tribe… What brings a lovely lady like yourself to my abode at this time of night? _Alone. _It's quite dangerous for you to be out at night… With out protection." He leered down at her chest. Talia cursed the fact that her chest had grown during the past few months, due to her regular supply of food. In fact, her angular body has become far curvier and her lekku thicker.

"Kriff off, Stong. I have business. I don't have time for your… flirting…" Talia stands tall.

"You must need detox badly." He smirks. "Which one of those lovely kids was it?"

"None of you business. I am here to buy detox." Talia says, firmly. But Moana hears her shortness of breath.

"Well then a vial… A thousand credits." He smirks.

Moana stifles a gasp, Talia wasn't kidding when she said it is expensive. But, if it saves Talia, it is well worth it. "You're trying to rip me off." Talia growls. "A hundred and that includes a clean needle. That is the normal going rate."

"But this isn't normal. It's the middle of the night. And where else are you going to get it?" The man smirks.

"You are a jack-ass." Talia says, her hands balling into fists.

"Well if you can't affort tha maybe we could make a different sort of trade. I'm feeling _generous_ tonight" The man smirks, his hand reaching for her breast.

Talia steps back, before he can touch her, but because of the stiffness of her limbs she falls to the ground. "I will not prostitute myself out."

He glares at her, pulling back his leg to kick her, "Little Schutta!"

Moana steps in between them. "You will sell me the detox and a clean needle for a hundred credits." She waves her hand in front of his face.

"I will sell you the detox and a clean needle for a hundred credits." The man says, turning to get the detox. Moana hurries to get the credits out. The moment he comes back she grabs it from his hand and slams the credits into his out stretched his hand.

She spins around to the fallen girl. Talia struggles to lift her head. "Inject it into a vein." Moana does so quickly. "Now we wait…" Talia's head nods as she fights off the urge to sleep. But her eyelids fall and her mind no longer works.

* * *

Talia groans softly. The softness under her does not lesson the ache in her bones. She got hit with a paralyze dart, didn't she? Her helmet is off. That's worrying. Talia glowers as she peels open her eyes. There is a weight on her leg. She looks down. Moana is sitting down in a chair, lying against the mattress, asleep. They're in her old room. Moana stirs a little, then groans awake.

Moana looks up, and then jumps up, hugging her. "I was so worried! You wouldn't wake up."

"Sorry, the detox makes people very sleepy. Most conk off for several hours after it is applied. Especially after long exposure to the kriffin paralyze dart" Talia says, uncomfortable.

"Why would- What happened?" Moana asks.

Talia sighs, "The trappers shot me with a paralyze dart. Used to capture and restrain. They work for the Empire to turn takens into slaves…"

"Takens?" Moana asks.

Talia sighs. She owes Moana an explanation. "Children of those the Empire have taken away… The tribes are groups of them that gathered to protect each other…" Talia explains.

Moana takes a steading breath. Her son… Talia… all those kids.

"We generally don't like touch with out permission as a lot of people try to hurt us." Talia says. Moana remembers the man selling detox. Moana gulps, understanding, and releases the girl. But Talia's hand doesn't release Moana's sleeve. "Don't let go, please." Her voice is soft… and scared. Moana pulls her back into a hug. "Why would you do all this for me?" Talia mumbles.

"Why? Because I care about you." Moana says.

Moana feels Talia begin to shake. "I've never had anyone worry about me like this… I've never had anyone care for me like this… I've never had anyone make rules for me, or scold me for swearing, or to look up to… For most people becoming a taken is their strongest memory. I don't even remember becoming a taken. I was so young… I've been on my own for as long as I can remember. Yes, it changed. And I have people who I care for and who care for me… Especially after becoming a leader of my tribe. I've never had anything close to… this..." Talia doesn't want to leave.

Moana's heart breaks for the child. "I'm sorry. I didn't take into consideration your past… I didn't know your past…" It is a miracle this child even turned out at all, regardless of how well or bad it was. And it is well. Talia is good person. Rough like nothing Moana has ever seen but good.

"Can we try again…" Talia asks. Praying the laws of the world don't bloody work for once. That she can have a second chance.

"Of course." Moana smiles. And Talia clings to her, crying.

* * *

Moana wakes up, unnerved. It is quiet. It hasn't been quiet since Talia returned a week ago. She couldn't have left, could she? No, she have sensed that through their bond. Their bond… Her padawan… Moana smiles. Moana gets up and changes. She walks through the ship. "Where is that girl?" She looks around. The ramp is down. She walks down it and stops.

Her padawan is standing on the forest clearing they landed in, her weapon aimed at a tree. Her padawan breathes and let looses and arrow. Her mind is clear. Her emotions released to the Force. It's like she is meditating.

Moana starts, smiling. Talia pauses, sensing her. She turns. "Morning. I just felt the need to shoot. It… calms me." Talia explains.

Moana smiles. "Talia, that was… that feeling is meditation. Or at least a semi meditative state."

"Really?" Talia gives of a shocked chuckle, unable to believe it. She had been doing it all along…

"Really." Moana smiles.

Before Talia can reply a shock wave slams through the Force. Unfeelable to those who don't know Ezra, but unmistakable to those who do. Talia's eyes widen as she feels Ezra. How? He must be half way across the galaxy.

"Ezra…" Moana mumbles, stumbling.

"Ezra! Ezra Bridger! You know Ezra Bridger!" Thalia's head snaps to her master. Talia looks in to her master's blue eyes. "No way..."

**Sorry... The story fairy wouldn't let go... I have gotten better at controlling my story impulse. But this was to good not to use. Yes, I have left you (rather unknowingly) on a cliff hanger the past two weeks... Star Wars likes cliff hangers. What can I say?**

**THANK YOU TIME! YAY! Thank you Skypeoplephoenix732 for favoriting and reviewing! Thank you Court818 for favoriting. Thanks to you two, I am in the strange position where I have more favorites than follows. Cool! I've only seen that a few times. **

**Thank you Chiibe The Rebel for reviewing. I wasn't trying to hide- whatever. You're smart than the average bear.**

**Thank you for reviewing Midnight Luna. I hope it was good confusion and not the bad confusion that throws a reader out of the story. As for killing Collin, glad to have shocked you enough to reread it. I must be doing something right.**

**Thank you Jelsa777 for reviewing. You always seem to know exactly what I want to hear. I was actually a little worried about connecting every one, because I know a lot of people hate when that is done. I, myself, am not overly fond of it if it is done for fan service. In fact, Snark's droid was originally going to be wrecked pretty badly and have it's parts put into Parts. But the idea fairy came (I have her on speed dial) and Chopper just fit better. And I got to speculate on his past, which was really fun. The hardest part making it work was figuring out how to make Kanan and Chopper not recognize each other. And that was solved with a paint job. I am rambling, aren't I?**

**Thank you Paint the Fangirling Wolf-Dog for reviewing! It was a lot of fun writing Miranda and Snark. Especially Snark, I was raised on the power of snark and sarcasm. I really can't write without it. I am really happy with how they turned out. A lot of couples in stories, and no I am not looking at Anakin and Padme (I like them), leave you wondering why are they together, and these guys just click together. So, I am really happy about that. I am really happy that you like chapter 1. I must have run through that scene like fifty time before I settled on what would happen. I wanted them to have that clash without going Luke and Vader cause that has been done to death. And with family relationships it is very easy to fall into that trap. Hard to believe, at chapter 26, that chapter 1 was originally a one shot that came from me losing internet access for a month and a half. Lucky, my inner writer asked her catchphrase, "What happened next?" And here we are. I am rambling again, aren't I? Sorry.**

**Thank you StarWarsUnited for reviewing. Don't kill me for another cliffhanger! Wow! I got three version of a reviewer going at once. That's a new record. Normally, I only can bring out two. Inner Insanity, have a tissue.*Holds out a tissue***

**Question Time: Okay, I know I have already asked this but that was over ten chapters and a special ago. So update time. Has you favorite chapter changed? Do you have another favorite? What do you like about them?**


	29. Chapter 27: The Fog of the Lost

**RUHLSAR000 Here! I might recommend going back to… What? Chapter 25? Yeah. It has been a while and you may need to refresh your memory on where we were there. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! I LOVE YOU MICKEY!**** I apologize for errors, delays, and long-winded author's note. Happy Halloween!**

* * *

"Come on, Ebby. It's not that far." Zara says.

"You said that thirty minutes and three hills ago." Ebby groans, trying to figure out how the hills exist in the swamp. And they were muddy. Not normal mud, but sink down until you are ankle deep and fighting to get your foot back mud.

"It's just one more hill." She jumps the hill. Ebby groans, but as he climbs it he realizes the hill is stone. He crawls up it, lugging the two five gallon jugs. Thankfully, they are empty but not for long. He wonders why Zara insists on hiking this far for water when they can't get away from the stuff.

As he comes over the hill, he gets his answer. The top of the hill is curved down, into a basin. In the center of the basin is a spring of crystal clear water. That would take a lot less filtering to become drinkable. It was about the size of a pond.

"Found this my first year here. It's fed by underwater sources and rainwater. Cleanest water for a hundred miles." Zara explains, kneeling down and fills her two water jugs. Ebby kneels down and gathers his water. "Come on, it's a long walk back."

Ebby groans. "Can't we use the Force?"

"You can keep your concentration going that long? I'm impressed." Zara says, with a nice amount of snark.

Ebby groans, picking up his jugs, "We have a long walk."

* * *

_Hey, Sonya, I wanted to ask- No..._

_I heard you saved Rong. Thank you. He is a pain, but... No..._

_ Well, fancy seeing you, Hot Stuff_

Chance actually hit himself in the face for that one. He looks at the door to the training room. He doesn't need any confirmation to know she's in there. She's always in there. He'd ask himself how she could be up, but he has experienced first hand how good Empire medics are. He doesn't have any scars from his own beating a week ago. He supposes it is because the Empire doesn't want the bad publicity of having scarred stormtroopers walking around.

He is both grateful to be out of the medical ward and wishing he could stay hidden. He needs to make things right with Sonya. But, how? Did he feel the need to apologize? In all honesty, no, he didn't. But he should have listened to her side. That's how his mother raised him.

He finally comes up with either the greatest plan ever conceived or the worst plan to ever grace the minds of anyone ever; wing it.

He walks in, "Son-" The room is empty. "Ya." He looks around as if willing her to appear. He sighs, not seeing her in the room. He looks down. "Well, that's new..."

Sonya sighs silently, as she looks at her former friend's back through the open door. He is close enough to still trigger the doors motion sensor. He is close enough for her to touch. She knows she can't. For his safety, she can't be his friend. For his happiness, she can't stay with him. He doesn't want her. He doesn't need her. She walks away, silently. She doesn't cry. She's shed enough tears in her lifetime. She can't spare any more for someone who has come to their senses.

* * *

Ebby jumps up to do a flying spinning strike with a single blade. He falls flat on his butt, for the fifteenth time. "Tighten up. You're slowing down your spin. You aren't striking until the end of the movement." Zara says, from where she is sitting, her legs dangling off the edge of the deck that surrounded her circular tree house.

"You couldn't have told me that the first time?" Ebby asks, standing and wiping the mud away. His pants are still a mess, though.

"Firstly, you wouldn't learn if I told you the first time." Zara says.

"Secondly?" Ebby asks, knowing there is more.

"It's very entertaining watching someone fall in the mud." Zara smirks, dodging the mud tossed her way with a laugh.

Ebby breathes in. He starts the form again. When he gets to the flying spinning strike, he adjusts. And he lands it. With a smile, he looks up at Zara. He is surprised to see her slack jawed. "What?"

"How?" Zara says, wide-eyed.

"I just adjusted like you said." Ebby shrugs.

"But... even if you did, it would still take most people several more times of falling to do it that well and several more mistakes as well." Zara says.

"Well, depriving you of entertainment is good motivation not to fall." Ebby smirks. "So, you going to teach me the next move in the form?"

"Let's make sure it wasn't a fluke." Zara smirks, sure it was. Ebby does it again and again. It wasn't a fluke.

* * *

It is late at night. Both of them have curled up into the pod, but neither of them is tired anymore. Well, that they would admit. It started out innocently. Ebby had asked if she had a holocrom. She responded by asking if he remember something, though she knew the answer. Ebby can't remember a thing except for things related to the Jedi and the Force then he has a close to photographic memory. Zara still had yet to figure out how that works.

She brought out her holocrom and they just kept looking things up. It is during this time, that they realize Ebby has difficulty reading. Zara ends up reading most of the articles, until she falls asleep against the wall. Ebby moves her into a lying down position and turns off the holocrom with a sigh. It is getting late... Ebby soon lets sleep take him, as he reviews what he learned.

* * *

_"What am I going to do?" Miranda shoves her face into her hands. She had been so stupid. They had been so stupid. The longer this war goes on the more unpopular the Jedi become. They are becoming viewed as warriors instead of peacekeepers. They are becoming warriors instead of peacekeeper. A scandal could destroy all confidence in the Order and leave the view of hypocrisy in the Order. And if they found out about Snark, what would they do to him? There are those in the Senate and the streets that viewed the clones as no better than droids. That's why they weren't allowed to have families. And the baby! Child of a double forbidden union. What future could they have? And what of her? Her entire life is the Order. Did she disagree with a lot of things about it? More each day. But as messed up as it has become, it does good. And she loves her job, despite the problems._

_ "You could start by bouncing ideas back and forth." Zara's voice startles her as Zara walks over to the bench. They are alone and it is late. No clones are in the control room. Even the lights have been dimmed._

_ "No, I am fine." Miranda lies._

_ Zara raises her eyebrow. "I am schedule to take the trials in next month. I think you can treat me like a knight."_

_ "If you pass, you are still young. Very young. Only eighteen." Miranda says, though she herself is pretty sure Zara will pass with flying colors. _

_ "The council thinks I am ready. Though they are desperate to get more Jedi out into the field." Zara leans against the display looking at the blue battle plans. "Not exactly how I imagined my ascension to knighthood..."_

_ "None of us did." Miranda says. "Nor did we imagine the changes this war would cause among us."_

_ "Among you, you mean." Zara says, "You've become far more willing to bend the rules. Then again, you've always been prone to disagreeing with them. You just act on it now."_

_ "You, as well, though I think that is Tammy's influence." Miranda smiles._

_ "True, so you going to tell me what's going on? Seriously, you practically woke me up." Zara says._

_ Miranda sighs, she needed an ally and more than just Snark. And she needs someone right now and Snark is on mission and won't be back until tomorrow. And Zara is probably the most likely to help. Her and Tamara that is. "I... Snark and I are married..."_

_ "What..." Zara asks, a stunned tone lacing her voice. Then she smirks, "Funny, Master. Really though?" Miranda looks down. Zara harshly says. "You're serious. Master... Do you have any idea what this could do? You'll be expelled from the Order! Master... How could you be so reckless?! So stupid!"_

_ "Zara, I am sorry. I know it was stupid. I messed up, and I know you don't agree with my fondness for Snark and I-" Miranda scans her padawan's emotions trying to figure out what to do next to get her to stay quiet. She stops her rant. Her padawan is only amused. She looks up at Zara, who is barely holding back a laugh. Apparently, that is enough for Zara, who bursts into laughter._

_ Between laughs, Zara squeezes out, "I'm sorry...I'm sorry... But that was too good not to do." _

_ Miranda gaps at her padawan, realizing that have just become the victim of Zara's first prank. "Tamara has been a good influence on you." Miranda shakes her head._

_ "I think it was more C1 and Snark on this one. I had hunch that you and Snark were more than your roles, but neither of you let it interfere with your roles. So, I didn't say anything." Zara says. "So, what's wrong?"_

_ "I'm pregnant." Miranda says._

_ Zara gawks at her master. "I swear, Master, this better not be payback for the prank I just pulled. Actually, It better be a prank."_

_ "I'm pregnant." Miranda says, again._

_ Zara looks at her master and sighs. "You are always telling me, Master, we each are individuals and so must find our own path to do will of the Force. I may not agree with what you are doing, but... Since I met my mother, I know attachment isn't the same as love. I love my mother... but if it came down to it, I wouldn't stop doing my duty to save her. Because that would destroy her. These thoughts have been swirling in my head. And while attachment is definitely bad, I don't think love that pushes you forward is."_

_ Miranda smiles at her padawan, "You're going to be amazing Jedi, much wiser than I ever will be."_

_ "I doubt that highly." Zara says, then smirk. "Besides, it's not like sex is against the code, only attachments."_

* * *

Zara looks at the stone Ebby is levitating. It floats up and lands on the stack of fifteen stones. Ebby then from the handstand he is doing, levitates another stone and puts it on another stack. She smiles, he is doing quite well. A lot like her as a child...

The towers collapse, startling Zara out of her train of thought. She looks over at Ebby who is coming out of his handstand. "What's wrong?"

Zara contemplate lying, but knows Ebby would see through it immediately. The amount of raw strength he has is amazing. His only limit is probably his own belief of his abilities. And without his memories, he has no concept of what he can't do. The sky is the limit for him for him now. "Just thinking about the past."

"Did something bad happen?" Ebby asks.

"Something always happens. I don't think there is a person in the galaxy who hasn't had something bad happen." Zara says.

Ebby goes over and sits down next to her on the large rock. "So?"

Zara wonders if she should tell him, but Ebby won't stop asking till he knows. While Ebby did have an understanding that sometimes you learn more by watching, he could rival Caleb in the amount of questions he could and did ask. But, where to begin? "Kids can be the most accepting or most exclusive people out there. I got the latter."

Ebby puts his hand on her shoulder. "I was really good at using the Force and understanding it. Top of my class, all my classes. On a straight path to being a consoler. When I was young, I had my classmates' admiration. As I grew, I gained their jealousy. And I was left wondering what I did wrong. As a result I strove to be the perfect Jedi. If I couldn't have friends my age, then I'd at least be respected by the adults. And I was the perfect Jedi... Or what most Jedi thought was perfect. I changed my path to that of a guardian. I came to the conclusion that if I could stop people, races from being belittle and hurt, I'd be really happy. I became a padawan to a straight-laced master. And then the Clone Wars happened."

Zara looks at Ebby, who is listening patiently. "My master fell in love and became pregnant. It was forbidden for Jedi to form attachments. We wound up with this crazy plan. I was to purposely fail my trails and we go on a training mission. It wasn't that outlandish. I was taking it at eighteen and most don't take it until they are, at least, twenty-two, more often, twenty-five. Force willing, I actually didn't need to fake it. I did fail my trial of courage. Of all things, really. I had done so many acts of courage during the war. Heck, the Council even considered letting those count for my trial. But, Master Yoda vetoed the idea and even suggested me and my master go train just the two of us." Zara looks into the canopy. "I wouldn't be surprised if he knew. He must have known. But, someone that old... he must have seen the Jedi change. Maybe he himself disagreed with some of the changes. Maybe, he just didn't see it as worth causing the scandal."

"I wish I could meet Master Yoda." Ebby says, "Think I could?"

"Ebby... The Jedi are all but extinct... And Master Yoda was one of the most recognizable Jedi." Zara says. "I've met people who know nothing of the Jedi except that Master Yoda was a part of it... And so many Jedi died that day. The galaxy really needed help." Zara looks at Ebby. That is why Miranda named her son "Ezra". And Ebby has her eyes. Is it possible that he is Ezra?

"Come on, let's meditate." Ebby stands.

Zara laughs, "I'm pretty sure most of the masters of the Order would have heart attacks if they heard you. Not even I meditated without prompting."

* * *

Zara wakes up surprisingly late. Okay, not that surprising. Ebby had begged to study the holocrom last night and he decided to ignore the holoclock. Granted, Ebby's reading has improved greatly. Probably because she'd been helping him learn for an hour or two each day for the past... How long has it been since she found him? A month? More than that. Closer to two... But he still has trouble reading on his own. And he has surpassed Caleb's ability to question and had kept her awake with questions. Zara sits up, if the Force had any sense of karma or even a sense of humor, then Ebby is Caleb's padawan.

Zara looks out the window, if Caleb is alive that is… Zara notices that Ebby is gone. Zara opens the window, slides her boots and drops down on to the roof of the main house. "Hey, sleepy head!" Ebby shouts.

Zara looks down and see Ebby outside and carrying two jugs. Water. Right, they need to pick up water today. "Let me get the jugs!" Ebby laughs. Zara opens the hatch, dropping into her house. She picks up the jugs, but they are heavy. Zara looks down to see they are full. She hears the door open.

"You were asleep. I figured I'd get the chores done." Ebby says, putting the jugs in his hands down next to where the others had been.

"Hoping to get more training in?" Zara smirks.

"Guilty." Ebby says.

"We'll probably just be going to be going over the basics, again." Zara says, going to grab left overs from last night for breakfast. "And we still need to check the nets and traps."

"That's fine." Ebby says, again proving himself to be unusual. He has no issue going over the basics again and again.

"And maybe we can work in some sparring." Zara smiles, then notices something on Ebby's lip. "Looks like someone's growing a little bit of mustache." Ebby's hand flew to his lip.

* * *

Ebby dodges the strike, then clashes against Zara's blade. It is a little too close for comfort.

Next time they spar, they'll be using sticks, Zara decides, ducking Ebby's counterstrike with the shoto. He is actually causing Zara to sweat a bit. And to say she was impressed is an understatement. Granted, training for most of the day, for over a month, does improve technique quickly. But, Ebby is a natural.

Next time they sparred, they'd be using one saber, too, as Ebby is lacking a bit there. And the fact she isn't has nothing to do with it. Speaking of which, she delivers a kick to his left hand, sending the shoto flying

Ebby unleashes a flurry of easy to block strikes that only succeed in making her step back. Ebby smirks a bit. What is he planning?

Zara's question is answered a few seconds later as she trips on an underwater root. She land on her butt, lightsaber out of arms reach. "Kriff." Zara says. She bloody knew that was there.

"Not as clean of victory as I'd like." Ebby smirks, pointing his lightsaber at her neck.

"Don't get cocky, Kid." Zara grabs the blade of the lightsaber and flings it away. She leans over and kicks a near by tree, sending a slew of bat-like creatures out of the tree and straight at Ebby, knocking him down. Zara dives for her lightsaber and points it at Ebby's neck. "Concede defeat?" Ebby nods. Zara turns off her lightsaber, smirking, "I have more than a few tricks up my sleeves."

Ebby gets up and goes to pick up his lightsabers. "How did you do that?"

"My gloves." Zara takes off one her long elbow length gloves. Seeing then closer than he ever cared to look, he sees that they aren't leather like he thought. Instead, they are coated in something to make them look like leather. The palm of the right one's coating had been burned off, revealing a woven metal-like fabric under it. "The fabric is woven Mandalorian Iron. That allows them to act like cortosis gauntlets. While they don't short out lightsabers, they are better camouflaged." Ebby raises an eyebrow at the unfamiliar term, but is also surprise that "Mandalorian Iron" sounds familiar. "Gauntlets that are able to deflect lightsabers."

Ebby looks at his left arm. "That would have been useful."

* * *

Chance sighs, walking down the halls near the training area. It had been two weeks since his release from the medical ward. He has seen Sonya around. Everywhere, in fact, and he isn't the only one.

In fact, everyone is seeing her everywhere, if the rumor mill that is called the lunchroom is anything to go by. She hasn't changed how she acts at all. And she still scares most people into waking up in the middle of their sleep cycle screaming. But Offee's increasing number of beatings has caused many to at least grasp one of aspects of Sonya. Sonya scolds hard, but it is clear that it is a warning. _Do as I say, because there are those who won't tolerate this_.

Chance felt a little pang when he realized that. But Chance couldn't figure out why.

Then some sap in lunch shift 2 realized, that for the first month Offee's anger and strictness was solely place on Sonya. That had drummed up a lot of sympathy.

And then Sonya is being Sonya. Without the fear or with something to fear more for an extended period, some people actually see what she does for the crew's well being, all be it in her own terrifying way. They see her give small warning gestures, saying she is getting irritated so behave, unlike Offee. They see Sonya making time to check on the beating victims, and give her two cents in her cool calculating voice on what to do to make them heal faster and even applying a few treatments late at night. And it sounds like the kind of knowledge gained from personal experience. Of course, that was just a rumor.

Offee knows it too. Offee is doing everything she can to Sonya her ragged. Which is a lot. And Sonya isn't sleeping well. He sees it in her eyes, the way she carries herself. And it gets worse each day. Chance needs to talk to her. Funny thing is he can never find her alone. She is always surrounded by people, giving orders, taking them, reviewing trooper formations and strategies. And when she's not, she's in her room which he can't even approach without a signed off reason. Maybe she's avoiding him.

Chance sighs that is a real possibility.

He hears bangs coming from training room 07. They don't sound like blasters hitting the wall... Curious, he checks the training room. The door swishes open. The banging has stopped. Sonya is staring at him, eyebrows raised. Chance knows that he really caught her off guard. And alone, he realizes.

Sonya seems to realize it, too. And that he is blocking the door. How is she going to get past him?

Sonya knows she is being ridiculous. He doesn't want to talk to her. He doesn't want anything to do with her. So, she gives him his space. She couldn't avoid him completely, not in a ship that had all the social diversity of a small town. But, she spared him having to see her alone.

She walks past him. A word wouldn't be appropriate. "Sunny! Wait!" Chance says, as she walks past him. Despite herself, she freezes. It was the "Sunny" she was sure. _Go_, she commands herself,_ the door is right there._

"Don't call me that." Sonya whispers.

"Sun-Sonya, what happen to your hands?" Chance sees her hands.

Sonya looks down at her bleeding hands. "I punched a wall." Chance takes her wrists, examining her hands. "Trooper Sorayu, stop. This isn't appropriate." Sonya rips her hands away. Sonya moves for the door.

"I'm sorry." Chance says quickly.

Sonya freezes, "What the KRIFF are you apologizing for, Trooper Sorayu?"

"For not listening to your side? For ignoring your feeling? For being an awful friend? Something else I am forgetting?" Chance tries to instill some humor with the last one. It failed.

"Sorayu, you have nothing to apologize for." Sonya sighs, tucking her hands behind her back. "I'm the one who..." She couldn't finish the sentence. "I'm..." She couldn't bring herself to apologize. For one, if placed in the same situation she'd do it again. Another is her position. It wasn't appropriate for her to apologize to him. If he was her friend, then alone she could but now...

"Why?" Chance asks.

"Hm?" Sonya looks at him.

"Why did you do that?" Chance asks.

Sonya sighs, "Because it have been worse if I didn't... If Offee catches even a whiff of me carrying about someone, she'll kill them… Like my father..." Sonya bites back the pain. "And forever use it to torment me..."

"The head..." Chance realizes.

Sonya can't even materialize the strength to nod. The broken look on her face is enough to confirm it, though. Sonya is surprised to find arms around her. A few moments later, Chance pulls away slightly, but doesn't release her. "Let me see your hands, my friend."

"I'm not your friend... I'm too dangerous to be your friend." Sonya says.

"As I said before, you are worth the risk. I will admit I didn't know the risks before, but I do now. And my answer remains the same. I care about you. You are my best friend. I really missed you." Chance leads her to the bench, and pulls out a secret first aid kit from underneath it that Sonya had installed a while ago. He starts to examine her hands. He uses a disinfectant cloth to wipe away the blood. They weren't bad. Just a bad case of bloody knuckles. They'd even stopped bleeding. They'd sting for a while, but that's it.

"I do nothing but cause you grief..." Sonya says, looking away. Why would he want a friend like that?

"No, you make me laugh. You make me think. You make me worry." Chance tilts her head towards him. "You make every thing more vibrant."

"I make a mess of everything..." Sonya whispers.

"No... No, you don't." Chance says, sitting next to her and pulling her into a hug. Her hair falls into his face. The sent of artificial lavanda and sweat fills his nose.

"You remember me telling you about my brother..." Sonya says.

"Yeah, you light up every time." Chance says, except now...

"He's the padawan we are after..." Sonya whispers. Chance goes stiff. "I... I don't even know what happened. We argued. I snapped. I showed him Dad's head. He... I caused him to loose his memories. All of them. I caused..."

"Sh..." Chance whispers. "He'll be fine, if he is anything like you say."

"I just mess up everything. I am a curse. Bad things happen when I care about others." Sonya sighs.

"You are not a curse." Chance says.

"Thank you..." Sonya whispers, leaning into his shoulder.

"No problem, it's what friends do." Chance smiles.

"Not for that. Just… for being my friend." Sonya smiles.

"My pleasure." Chance sighs, contently.

A few minutes later, Sonya says, "About the day in the medical ward..." Chance winces, he was jerk. "What I did to get you to take the medication... It doesn't count as a kiss. I just don't want that to cause us to become awkward... It only counts if both want it."

Chance sighs, "Yeah..." He lets his lips press against her scalp. He knows it's the closest he will ever get to kissing her.

* * *

**Thank You Time! Thank you Chiibe the Rebel for reviewing. Yes, you are smart. Hope you're more awake this week. **

**Thank you Paint the Fangirling Wolf-Dog. It is a great scene, unparalleled in all of cinema. Keep blabbering. I love hearing everyone blabber on. That is while I love theories. Keep them coming! :D **

**Thank you Jelsa 777. I told the idea fairy you wished to have a visit, but she likes to come when you are your busiest. She claims it's a way to relieve stress. I don't know… Best not to argue with her to much. **

**Thank you Midnight Luna for reviewing. Welcome to the sprained ankle club? I founded it when I sprained my ankle three times in one month back in high school. Thank goodness color guard season was over. Okay, on to business… I want you to understand that I am writing Ner Vod very differently from any of my other stories, fanfictions or otherwise. Because it has to be. I have had to plan the timeline very carefully from beginning to end. I have checked it about twenty. And even though Ner Vod is going to cover several in universe years, there is a lot I need to the cover. That ends up with I probably will not have the in universe time to develop your character into a good OC. And the in universe time cannot be adjusted. It is set in stone. To answer your question, there are plenty of reasons that a pair of taken siblings may be separated. Very few are pleasant.**

**Wow, first chapter is popular. More popular than the last winner, the first special. Which is interesting as they were both out last time I asked. I won't lie; the first chapter is one of my favorites, too. And it had changed so much since the first time I imagined what would become Ner Vod. Sonya hated the Pa'un Inquisitor. The Bridger siblings recognized each other immediately. Zara was going to be introduced around chapter 5. Wow… But my favorites are actually a series of five that mark what I view as the major arcs in the story. Of Flesh is actually the first of the five.**

**Question Time: Who's your favorite; D, Sonya or Talia? Given that we seen each of them more closely recently. It seems like a good time to ask again.**


	30. Chapter 28: Of Spirit

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Sorry for the delay. I had a midterm Friday at 5:30 pm. I think it went well. But there was no way I was going to be able to update Friday and I knew I would be to tried to do it on Saturday. The only thing I forgot to do was tell you. Sorry. Normally, I'd just wait for next Friday but well we broke a hundred reviews. I'd like to give special shout out to all my reviewers who have allowed Ner Vod to get over a hundred reviews! It feels amazing. By now you know the drill but here we go again. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! THEY BELONG TO THE COMPANY THAT BROUGHT US AMAZING SHORTS LIKE JOHN HENRY, FROZEN FEVER AND FEAST.**** I apologize for delays, errors and long-winded author's notes ie today.**

* * *

Zara and Ebby laugh as they reach the crest of the water basin. The water level has risen each time they come. Now it's a foot below the crest. "I'm serious. Caleb was so humiliated. But, I think several padawans and initiates wanted to create an award for him. The rule break that resulted in the best thing possible. The masters weren't so keen however, thinking it would increase rule breaking. Though, most were grateful the boys' dorm smelled less like an old sock." Zara kneeled down, and submerging one of her jugs

"Caleb sounds interesting, I wish I could meet him. " Ezra submerges his jug. Something in the water catches his eye.

"Yeah, you two would get along great." Zara says, with a smile. Ebby doesn't reply. "Ebby?"

Ebby is staring down into the water. "That cave wasn't there before... Was it?"

Zara goes over and kneels down next to him, looking down into the water. She looks confused, then a look of understanding crosses her face. "No, Ebby, it's always been there. It's just hard to see." Zara looks slightly shaken.

"What's down there?" Ebby says, looking down at the cave, again. He has been here about thirty times, never once seeing it. Yet… Something is different about the Force today. It is swirling around, coiled, around this spot.

"Things that most wish to leave undisturbed." Zara says, not looking up from the water.

"Have you been down there?" Ebby asks.

"Not this one. But one similar… Once..." Zara says. "Not something I remember fondly, though I made it through."

"Can I go down there?" Ebby asks.

Zara answers, hesitantly, "If you feel you are ready. But Ebby, you may not like what you find."

"Are my memories there?" Ebby asks.

Zara nods, "If that is what you wish, then they are there. That and so much more."

Ebby stands, his jugs at his feet forgotten.

Zara looks up at him, giving on last warning, "What ever you face in there, you face alone. I cannot aid you."

Ebby dives in.

As soon as he reaches the entrance, the water surrounding him vanishes. He is left in a dark area illuminated by one small far off star-like light. "Hello?" Ebby calls out, looking around. The echo is unnerving. There is no entrance, no exit. Just darkness. "Well, that's disconcerting."

He takes a step and then another, heading the only thing he can see, the light. Shadow-like clouds begin to rise from the ground. Ebby has no clue what they are, but "not good" seems like a thought. He begins to run. But, the clouds are faster. They cut into his path.

But, as soon as the clouds surround him, they vanish, sinking into the ground. They leave something though. Surrounding him are bodies, lots of them. And, though Ezra can't explain it, he knows them all by name and words, his words in his voice, echo in his head. But he can't remember anything else. A hollowness fills him though.

The droid smashed beyond repair. Chopper. _It's alright. I miss him, too._

The mandalorian with brightly colored armor and lightsaber slashes through her breastplate. Sabine. _If I believe my parents would come back, come and save me, I'd never have learned to survive._

A purple hairy thing that he knew was a lasat with a singed hole burned into his chest. Zeb. _I guess… I owe you now._

A green twi'lek, her both her lekku were cut off and a slash through her back. Hera. _Yeah, What's wrong with us?_

Another twi'lek, a purple one near the green twi'lek, her sister, a slash through the back of her neck. Talia. _Not going to happen, Talia._ _I am not leaving you._

A torguta, near the purple twi'lek, impaled, defending six bodies all slashed ruthlessly. Orin. _I dare you to try it._

Ariadne. Rodi. Caleb. Cely. Mzia. Yue.

A beautiful dark skinned girl that has had a lightsaber hole through her gut. D. _Something. I could have done something._

Two more people cling to each other in death. A woman with his eyes and a deactivated lightsaber. An older man with is head cut off. Mom. Dad. _We want a Jedi story!_

The last body, a man in a green sweater. _I want to be the Jedi you see in me. The one I don't always see in myself_.

"Kanan..." Ebby mumbles, unknowingly shaking.

The shadow clouds return, materializing to figures, two breathing figures. The male is wearing a clock, obscuring his face. The girl is dress in white her blonde hair tied in twin braids. "Who are you?"

"That won't do. You have to know what you did to me." She growls, opening her fist. An orb of light flies out and into Ebby. And he remembers. Or rather he remembers her. Sonya. "Like my work?" Sonya gestures to the bodies.

"Lying isn't nice." Ebby says, knowing as cold as she is now, she wouldn't do this.

"But, revenge is sweet. After all, your master killed mine. And you... You caused me to fall." Sonya glowers.

Ebby cringes, that's the lie he has been denying since they reunited. "No I didn't." He tells the truth.

She launches into an attack. Ebby blocks her lightsabers with his own. "If you had stopped me from running in. If you had run in instead of me! If you had run in after me! Anything you could have done anything." Left. Right. Right. Kick. Swinging hilt. Slash. Ebby does his best to block and dodge each attack, but he is being pushed back.

The black figure strikes firing red blaster bolts at him. "Oh, how is that fair!" Ebby says, deflecting one of the shots at Sonya. Sonya dodges, rushing at him.

"Fair! Fair! My life hasn't been fair! You get to live your happy life as a hero to the galaxy! While I am forever stuck in the villian role. Something I didn't even want!" Sonya yells, slamming down her blades. Ebby blocks but can barely hold her off. He side steps when he realizes he can't hold her off. Sonya, with the loss of pressure on her blade, falls to the ground. Ebby can't bring himself to strike her. Not that he gets a chance. The hooded figure steps in front of her, red lightsaber extended. His grip is odd, Ebby notes. One hand on top of the other due to the short hilt. This guy is a duel wielder. Ebby had to be careful of that. Sonya gets up. "I was force down this path by you and everyone else!"

"I was seven, barely. It wasn't my fault!" Ebby yells.

"That's no excuse!" Sonya springs out from behind the cloaked figure. She slashes, violently and wildly. That, in any other person, would have caused Ebby to take the advantage. But Sonya had the speed to pull it off. He has no clue where she'll strike next and each strike comes down when he has barely blocked the last strike.

Ebby manages to kick her away. Sonya glares at him. Both of them gasps for air, each trying to regain their breath first. "What do you want?!" Ebby yells, wanting this fight to end. "Fine, it was my fault! Does that make you happy?!" Ebby admits what he feels in his heart.

"No, but your head will!" Sonya shouts. She launches herself at him. Ebby parries each of her strikes. Sonya lands a kick onto his left hand, flinging his shoto away. Sonya rolls her ankle in a circle, as she continues striking with her lightsabers, pinning Ebby's main lightsaber with her sabers. Ebby is struggling, but holding his own. Sonya moves swiftly, deactivating her blades, dodging his blade and kicking his temple. Ebby falls to the ground. His lightsaber flies away from his grasp. Ebby, though dazed, jumps up immediately. A red blade appears at his neck. He looks at his sister, who is smirking victoriously. "Any last words?" Her eyes are cold.

Ebby looks at her, eyes filled with sorrow. His mind and heart is filled with his pain and guilt. But, even as he does this, he realizes something. He, in a calm sad voice, reveals his revelation, turning it real. "Gar serim. It was my fault. But it was also yours. And Tseebo. And Mom and Dad's. And the Inquisitor who took you away. I am sorry, Ner Vod."

Sonya's lightsaber deactivates. He looks up at her. Her eyes sparkle with the kindness of her childhood.

Sonya smiles at him gently, like she had when they were children. Then, from nowhere, a wound appeared in her gut, a bad one. She collapses forward. Ebby panics, catching her. Suddenly, they aren't in a black nothingness. They are on a planet, a desert planet. Sands stretch for as far as the eye can see. Not a cloud in the sky, and two sun, twin suns, blare down. "Ebby..." Sonya smiles up.

"Sh... Save your strength, Sunny." Ebby begs. Even after everything, he doesn't want to lose her.

She just laughs. A light surrounds her, like an aura. Orbs of light drift off her, floating into him. Sunny places a hand on his cheek. The moment it touches his cheek, she turns into light and fades into him. And he remembers.

_Ebby!_

_ Ebby!_

_ Ebby!_

_ Coruscant!_

_ Kamino!_

_ Spector 6!_

_ Ezra!_

_ EZRA!_

He gasps. Everything memory flies around his head. Every memory he has ever had, he remembers them all. He remembers his sister snapping and showing him their father's head when interrogating him and the pain on her face moments later as she realized what she did. He remembers the pain that caused his memories to become lock. He remembers meeting the crew. He remembers him, Orin and Talia, injured and tired, swearing to move foreword together. He remembers his sister beating him when they whacked each other with padded sticks, pretending to be Jedi. He remembers his fathers face when he said his first word, "Je-di", followed by his sister saying "Sto-ri". He remembers the warmth of his mother's breast as he suckles. He remembers opening his eyes and seeing a strange thing... Zara... holding him, silhouetted in light, instead of the warm dark he was used to. He remembers being surrounded by darkness and warmth and his consciousness brushing against something that can only be described as light and kind, something that is hungry and alone... abandoned...

And he remembers things that cannot have occurred yet. He remembers a young red haired woman hugging him and feeling proud of her. He remembers kids looking at him wide-eyed as he lectures them on lightsaber technique. He remembers smiling next to an older D, in front of a blond haired man, dressed in black, and surrounded by people with lightsabers and their crews, joy evident on everyone's faces. He remembers nominated for the new Jedi council at a pub surrounded by seven other Jedi. He remembers celebrating the fall of the Sith Empire. He remembers walking into a cell and seeing a little girl no more than two, looking at him in fear. He remembers kneeling down and calming her and taking her from the cell. The little girl is present throughout his future. The girl who jumps onto his shoulder as he celebrated. The girl who is curled up in his lap asleep when he is surprised by his nomination. The girl who was the happiest among the happy people as he stands next to D. The red headed preteen who hands him objects at he request as he teaches. The woman in dark grey Jedi robes and her red hair done up in a pony-tail divided into five braid with two more behind her ears that he looks at proudly as she whispers, "Thank you, Master. Thank you, Uncle."

And with that the memories fade away to what he is suppose to remember, not gone but hovering just out of reach until he needs them or for them to form properly.

When he looks around again, he is back in the darkness, only it's not dark anymore. The glowing light has grown, causing the area to turn to a strange twilight-like zone. The bodies are gone, but the hooded figure remains, his lightsaber active.

Ezra glares at him, "I'm going to take a wild guess and say I'm not going to be able to talk you out of trying to slice me to ribbons." The figure grabs a shoto and ignites it. "Right..." Ezra goes for his lightsabers, but his lightsaber isn't on his waste and his shoto isn't in his boot. He looks around. He jumps as he senses the strike coming. He barely misses the red blade. He flips backwards to dodge the red shoto.

He sees his lightsaber and shoto… On the ground… Behind the hooded figure… "Karabl-" He is dodging the slashes of the hooded figures.

Ezra dodges then throws a kick to his opponent's head. It lands, knocking him to the ground. Ezra rushes to his lightsabers. A blast of electricity courses through him, knocking him to the ground.

Ezra looks at the hooded figure. He's not hooded anymore. Crouching on the ground, hand extended, glaring at him, is himself. Only his eyes aren't blue but a vibrant yellow. Sith eyes. "What are you trying to tell me Force?" Ezra asks, to no one in particular.

The dark version of himself springs forward. Ezra jumps up. The red blades slice into the ground_. _The Dark Ezra swings up faster than Ezra though possibly. But, Ezra focuses on the Force. It allows him to know his opponent will do before he does, and boosts his speed just enough that he is able to dodge each strike. "Yes, I have bad memories." Ezra speaks, hoping to get it to vanish like the Sonya illusion did. "But, they don't control me." The light source gets a little brighter.

Ezra dodges another stab. "I can let it drive me to protect others." Ezra flips over his darkness. Then, he ducks the spinning slash the dark him throws next. "But, I will never seek revenge. Not against the Empire. Not against every shopkeeper that tried to whip me for stealing. Not against the stormtroopers who thought it funny to use a ten year old for target practice. And not against Hands." The dark him punches out his hand. Ezra is hit with a powerful Force push. The light source gets brighter.

"My anger won't control me." Ezra jumps up, dodging the red blade swinging down. Then, he dodges back to avoid the red shoto. "Not my anger at Talia for shooting me. Not my anger at Orin for leaving me. Not my anger at my parents for getting themselves killed. Not my anger at Sonya for not fighting harder." Ezra lists the things that hurt him the most, the things that affected him the most. "I've let them go."

The dark Ezra swings viciously. Yet, that only makes it easier for Ezra to dodge. Ezra takes the opportunity to Force jump over his darkness. "You are a part of me. I can't deny that. And you may always. But you are not in control me." The dark version of him rushes at him. Ezra spins around dodging it, holding out his hand. His lightsaber flies to him immediately. He ignites it as soon as it touches his hand. "I am not proud of letting you control me in the past. I can't even say it won't happen again. I know myself too well for that. But, I have no desire to follow your path and I will trust in the Force to guide me away from it." His darkness slashes at him. Ezra easily blocks it. He pushes the lightsaber away. The Force directs his strike, shoving his lightsaber in to the Shiak, the center of the heart of his darkness.

The darkness falls to the white ground, sinking into nothingness. Ezra looks around. He is now surrounded by white, with only a tiny black stone floating in the air. Ezra notices his sleeves, tan and loose. He looks down to see he is in a tan tunic and light brown pants, belt and boots. "Weird..."

And then he is not.

Ezra takes a deep breath. He is sitting on his knees in his normal grey shirt and jeans, by the watering hole. He looks into the water. The cave is no longer there. Instead, he is facing his reflection. Just like he did just now.

Ezra lets himself cry, not because of joy or sorrow, but because it is what is used to wash the wounds of the past.

He looks next to him to see Zara meditating as well. She breathes in and out.

Ezra feels his master brush against his consciousness. He brushes it back, feeling joy of connecting for the first time in so long. He is met with the joy and relief of his master. Ezra sends back an apologetic feeling and a joy. They don't actively send anything after that but they hang on to each other.

Zara comes out of her meditation. "Hey." She wipes her face. "How are you?"

That was a good question. Ezra sighs, thinking for a moment. "Tired."

Zara nods.

Ezra tilts his head, "Zara, what was that? A test?"

Zara turns her head to him. "A trial."

Ezra shakes his head, "What's the difference?"

"Everything." Zara smiles, then stands. "Come on, let's go make dinner." Ezra looks up noticing how late it has become and how long they have been there. "And then we can talk about leaving tomorrow. I'm sure you want to get back to your master. And it's time I take up my duty as a Jedi."

"We'll probably need to get to Callili. And contact Tamara DeLune. She should be able to contact them. I can't sense them on Datoonie." Ezra says.

"You know my mother?" Zara picks up her water jugs. Ezra goes to pick up his. "I got it." Zara begins to levitate the jugs.

Ezra smiles, she had been helping him train in every aspect of his days hear. "You're that Zara? And you know?"

"I'm Zara DeLune. Padawan of Miranda Akatsukin. Pain in the butt to her husband, Snark Wren. Daughter of Tamara DeLune." Zara smiles. "And you?"

"Ezra Bridger. Padawan of Kanan Jarrus. Pain in the butt to the Empire. Son of Mira and Ephiram Bridger." Ezra says.

* * *

**Since I have had so much support from this community, I've decided to return the favor and suggest an author each week that I think is good and deserves to be checked out.**

**Writer's Corner:**** Shell-Shocked-NinjaTurtleGal. She doesn't float around here as much as she did, but she still has two multi-chapters that are good. I think she was actually on of the first fanfiction authors in this fandom, with some of her one shots coming out before the show even premiered. As such, they are a little OC but overall very heart warming. And her most recent one, In Peace or In War, has them acting far more in character.**

**Thank You Time! Thank you chuckiej1196 for following. Thank you ScarletNightFury for following and Favoriting (I think Hiccup might be looking for you). Thank you Jelsa777, Midnight Luna, StarDust SprinkleShine, Chiibe the Rebel, and StarWarsUnited for reviewing.**

**StarDust, love the new name. I have no clue what Felidae is. Might have something to do with the fact that my tolerance for horror looks like a sine curve over the course of a six month period and I have an excellent long term memory, meaning once I watch it I remember it no matter what my tolerance is, means I have to stay away from horror in general. As for what I dressed up for Holloween, (Chiibe's going to love this) I was Padawan Zara DeLune. That was fun cause Zara's actual based off a picture I drew of myself as a Jedi. She's changed quite a bit personality wise… Actually **

**Chiibe, first let me give you internet cookies for being my hundredth reviewer. As for the sprained ankle club, sure, we are taking application until next month. The reason you resprained your ankles so easily is because once a joint is sprained it becomes weaker, making it easier sprain again. I must admit I am a bit surprised that Zara is your favorite, she appear in like three chapters. Happy, but surprised.**

**Midnight Luna, I'll be happy to answer any questions you have. There are a handful of materials lightsabers can't cut through. I am sure the electro-prods are made of one such material. Cortosis is probably the best cause it causes lightsabers to short out. But, I like Mandalorian Iron for Zara's glove because it is malleable and has uses for future chapters. As for Sonya's lightsabers, she chose to use Mandalorian Iron as one last connection to her family and her father.**

**No love for D, huh? I guess she needs some more polishing. I find it pretty interesting that last time I asked a similar question Talia was the most popular by far. Now, it is close, with several people not being able to choose, Sonya takes the lead. I just find it interesting.**

**Question Time: What are you thankful for?**


	31. Chapter 29: Strength of Memories

**RUHLSAR000 Here! As for the delay… Do not ask. It's been a heck of a week. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! ALL HAIL THE MOUSE!**** I apologize for errors, delays, and long-winded author's notes.**

* * *

_ Zara sighs. There is no emotion, there is peace. She needs to meditate. "There is no emotion, there is peace." She needs to meditate. Why? Oh, right. She may have mouthed off to Master Akatsukin, causing her Snark and about fifty other clones to lose control of their jaw mussels. "There is no emotion, there is peace." So, she got assigned to meditate. "There is no- Huttslime." She takes the clock, showing only ten minutes of her three-hour meditation session had lapsed, and throwing it across the room. She runs her fingers through her face._

_ "Well, that's new." Snark says from the doorway. "What did that poor clock ever do to you?"_

_ "What do you want?" Zara glares at him. _

_ Snark walks in unaffected, "Something's wrong. And while you don't like me, I do think you need to talk about it with someone. And that perfect Jedi thing you do means you won't talk to the General about it."_

_ "I don't don't like you." Zara says feeling uncomfortable._

_ "Of course, not the Jedi way." Snark says, rolling his eyes._

_ "No, not because of that..." Zara admits and then sighs, "I may disagree with you on a lot of things. But... you're nice to me."_

_ "Of course, you haven't given me a reason not too." Snark says._

_ "I wonder what reason I gave them." Zara mumbles. But Snark catches it any way._

_ "Who's them?" Snark ask. Zara remains quite. "Ship's under way, Kid. I can stay here all day and you're stuck here for at least three hours."_

_ "The… other padawans my age… and the ones a few years above me..." Zara admits. She doesn't know why. Maybe she is just tired of carrying it. "They were my friends and then they weren't…" Zara breathes, refusing to call it an attempt to fight of the beginings of a sob. She is a Jedi. Jedi control the emotions they feel. "And they started calling me names like 'teacher's pet' and 'print face'." _

_Snark raised an eyebrow. Zara smirks a little, as if something unspoken passes between them, "Yes, 'print face' was somewhat creative. But… then they started excluding me from games saying I'd prefer my books whenever an older person came by. I..."_

_ "Didn't want to cause trouble or make it worse, so you went along." Snark finishes._

_ Zara nods. Her head falls down, ashamed as she lets down the barriers that she had put up between herself, the world, and the pain down, "I thought it would end soon, but it would always get worse. I wanted to tell someone, but everyone expected me to be good, to be the star pupil. How could I ask for help? How could I admit that I was unable to hand everyone expectations? Especially, when the adults were the only ones who gave two cents about me."_

_ "Sounds to me like they were jealous." Snark say. Zara raises her head, confused. "They were jealous that things came easier for you."_

_ "That's ridiculous." Zara says._

_ "I know you work hard, very hard. But, you can do amazing things, Zara. And young too... Can anyone in your age group do some of the things you can?"_

_ "No..." Zara sighs._

_ "The problem isn't you." Snark reassures her._

_ "I... I don't want to go back to Coruscant..." Zara admits. She knows she doesn't want to, but she denied it because it is her duty to follow the Council's orders._

_ "I'm not surprise. If I had to face some of my more obnoxious brothers, I'd be playing sick." Then after mulling over something for a few second, Snark adds, "Again."_

_ "You were excluded, too?" Zara asks, surprised. Snark is the life, brains and heart of this squad. It seemed wrong thinking of him as anything else._

_ "Not excluded, but heckled by my brothers who weren't doing as well in the programs as I was. Until I was transferred to the captain program." Snark admits. "It wasn't fun."_

_ "What should I do?" Zara asks. It is foreign to her. Not asking questions, but asking for advice. But she can't say it is a bad feeling._

_ "I hold my head up high. After all, there is nothing they can take from you unless you give it to them." Snark places a hand on her shoulder. "And you are far stronger than I ever was."_

_ "Now if only I was brave..." Zara sighs, letting more of her doubts surface. They hurt as they come to the surface, but in a strange way it does feel good admitting and sharing them._

_ "You, not brave? That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of. And I have to put up with Topper." Snark says, stunned, probably not even realizing he put a well-placed jab at his best friend. "You've run into both battlefields and known traps to protect others. You've stared at a slaver, while injected with Force suppressors, and spit in his eye."_

_ "Yet, I can't face petty school yard fights..." Zara says, running a hand through her hair. The strands that always annoyingly fall into her face are coming out of the half up half down hair do she uses to restrain them. She'd have to fix that… Later…_

_ "I don't know many who can. Bravery comes from the places you least expect." Snark reassures her. Zara can only sense honesty from him, though she doesn't know if she believes him. "You are a lot of things, Zara. You are stubborn, serious, and blunt. But you're also loyal, brave and honest. It is an honor serving besides you, Commander." Zara smiles. "Stick with me when we get to Coruscant. I won't let anyone make fun of my Commander." Zara actually chuckles a bit. "I had better go before the General realizes I am interrupting your meditation."_

_ "Right, right." Zara resumes her mediation with no difficulties this time. In fact, it comes far easier than it ever has. And, while her doubts and fears are still there, the have eased greatly. And she feels her emotions, yet she feels peaceful._

* * *

Snark is dead. Zara breathes, shakily, her padawan braid no long wrapped around her head. That moment is precious to Zara. It had been the moment they had gone from at each other's throats to Zara thinking of him as the obnoxious older brother that always had her back. And her brother is dead. There is no death, there is the Force.

She couldn't grieve for him. Not in front of his son. He needs her to be strong. It's the least she could do for her brother and friend. There is no death, There is the Force…

Besides, he wouldn't want her to sad. He'd want her to laugh. He'd want her to live. He'd want her to love… Zara breathes. There is no death, there is the Force.

She wants to curl up into a ball and cry so badly. To have him come find her in that state and snark something to make her laugh or glare or roll her eyes…

And what of her master? They would have been together.

Zara sighs, closing her eyes. Her connection to her master has faded so much. Would she even have noticed if… And now it has been completely severed. Zara has no idea when that happened. Maybe it is the Force's way of telling her she is a padawan no more.

It doesn't matter if it is or isn't.

It's time she starts acting like it _is_. She takes her lightsaber and, as close as she can to her scalp, severs it. She is a Jedi.

A gasp escapes her lips as her head flinches to the left. It feels so strange. She has had it for over twenty years. She runs her fingers of the singed roots where her braid had been. It's over. She sighs. It isn't an end. After all, life is the story of the galaxy with every living creature playing a part. It doesn't end. It just adds new chapters.

She coils up the braid and shoves it into her bag along with her lightsaber. Fifteen years here and the only thing she feels are essential are the only things she has any desire to bring. Her holocrom, some clothes, her lightsaber, a blanket. Her blaster is in her holster. Her credits safely tucked into a secret compartment in the bag. Ezra has even less.

Zara looks around the main room one last time and then walks out, closing that door.

Ezra smiles, up at her from the ground "Ready?"

Zara doesn't even hesitate, "Yes." She jumps off the porch.

"Your braid..." Ezra asks.

"It's nothing but a memory." Zara smiles, touching the singed roots again. Her hair is back in her old half up half down hair do. She walks past him.

"So, what's the plan?" Ezra asks, following a step behind her.

"There is a small smuggler's port about twenty-five clicks west." Zara says. Ezra nods, glad they packed light.

* * *

"Follow my lead. Theses guys aren't necessarily the friendliest bunch." Zara whispers as they enter the cantina. A myriad of creatures, mostly large and scarred, are already there.

"You do realizes I survived as a kid by dealing with the scum of the black market on Lothal." Ezra whispers.

"Not like this, Young One." Zara whisper. "The imperials don't bother coming here. So the worst of the worst tend to congregate here. Believe me, you will never find a more retched hive of scum and villainy."

"Yo, Hermit!" The scarred dog-like humanoid bartender calls, "Here to barter supplies?"

"Not today, Ole Dog." Zara shouts back. "Ole Dog, he was the leader of a major drug cartel in the Republic."

A large lizard man, bigger than Zeb, cuts them off. Zara whispers, "He's wanted in fifteen systems."

"How do you even do that?" Ezra whispers, raising a eyebrow.

"You kill a lot of people." Zara says.

Ezra hears a familiar howl. He looks up and sees a few species he recognizes, a Wookie talking to a brown haired twenty-five year old human male and a dark beauty of a human woman. The Force hums in his ears. A vision flashes over his eyes, a moon-like space station, the Death Star, exploding. A shout of exhilaration not from this time rings in his ear. "Young one," Zara calls. He takes two quick steps, falling into position behind her. Zara approaches the bar.

The bartender turns to her and says in a thick accent that Ezra can't identify, "Hermit, what brings ya out a the Swamp?"

"Time to move on, Ole Dog." Zara says. Ole Dog hardly looks surprised. Ezra knows it is because this place isn't known for its regular. It is a transit stop. "Any word on anyone going to the Callili?"

"Callili... The Governor makes smuggling there hard. Unless its arms to a rebel codenamed Topper. The closest you probably get is... a few systems away." Ole Dog cleans a glass with a dirty rag.

"Who?" Zara asks, shoving a few credits his way.

"The guy with the Wookie." Ole Dog says, pocketing the credits.

"Word on him?" Zara asks, subtly glancing to the man in question.

"Standard smuggler. Most notable feature on his track record is being a favorite smuggler of Jabba." Ole Dog says.

"The Hutt?" Ezra asks, eyes widened.

"That's more than standard." Zara raises an eyebrow. She pushes away from the bar.

Ezra follows quickly, "Uh, you aren't serious, are you?"

"See the pretty lady, clearly he's not in he business of kidnapping pretty girls for his boss." Zara whispers. They walk to the table and stop. The people at the table stop talking.

The man looks at them. "What you want?"

"I hear you are heading near the Callili system." Zara says.

"And?" The man says, cocking an eyebrow.

"I was wondering how much passage for two to however close you are getting runs?" Zara says.

"Do I look like a transport, Lady?" The man says.

"No, you look like someone who likes a quick and easy buck." Zara smirks. "Especially when you doing little more than you're already doing."

The man seems to ponder it. The woman's hand falls under the table. The man's attention turns to the woman, who smiles. The man smirks. "Keep talking." He gestures to the chair opposite of him.

"How does a thousand credits each sound?" Zara sits. Ezra's jaw goes rigid. That's a lot of money

"Sounds a little low." The man smirks. Ezra's head snaps to the man. "Three thousand. Each." Zara holds up her hand, stopping Ezra from protesting.

"We could go back and forth for hours, but we both know how this is going to end. Split the difference?" Zara looks into his eyes. The man stares back. They each size other up.

"Two thousand each..." The man ponders, rubbing his chin. The Wookie howls something. "True." The man looks at the Wookie, pointing at the Wookie as if it was a very good point.

"Should you make the small diversion to Callili, my contact would surely add a thousand to the pot." Zara adds.

The man looks to his companions, who smile or howl. "Looks like you got a ship. Though, I should know who you are."

"I am Zara Tsukin. This is my cousin, Ezra Akai. And you?" Zara says.

"Solo. Han Solo. This is my wife, Sana." He gestures to the woman. "And my first mate, Chewbacca." He gestures to the Wookie. "Be ready to leave within the hour. Bay 5."

"We'll be there." Zara nods, standing. "Come, Young One."

Once they are out of the cantena, Ezra can't help but ask. "Why are you letting him rip you off like that? A four thousand credits is a lot of money."

"You've never had a chance to buy a ticket for any large distance, have you?" Zara asks, shuffling them off to the side.

"No, I mainly travel on the _Ghost._" Ezra shakes his head.

"Average ticket cost for the distance between here and Callili is about fifteen hundred per head." Zara says. "And frankly, I am amazed he didn't ask ten thousand per head or some other mark up. We don't exactly reek of options right now. And I know you know that there are some in this galaxy who would take advantage of that situation."

Ezra shakes off the memory of Hands, wrapping his arms around himself. Yes, he knew all to well.

* * *

Ezra looks at the ship. "She's a beauty." Zara raise her eyebrow at him, clearly thinking it looks like junk and that beggars can't be choosers.

"Why thank you." Han smiles, with pride. "She's the _Millennium Falcon_. Won her in a game of saa'bac a few years back. She's pretty fast especially after I got my hands on her."

"And I'm still not convinced Lando didn't rip you off." Sana says.

"Calrissin?" Ezra raises an eyebrow.

Han and Sana stop their banter. Han answers, surprised, "Yeah." Zara's head snaps to Ezra.

"Had a few run in with him. Leaves quite an impression." Ezra says, in a neutral way.

"That's one way of putting it." Sana rolls her eyes.

"She a Corellian?" Ezra asks

Han smiles, "Yeah. Yt-1300f light-freighter."

"Sweet. I spent some time on a VCX-100 myself." Ezra smiles in return, thinking of how Hera would patiently answer every question he had about the ship.

"No kidding. I hear the weapons systems are a bit slow." Han says, clearly asking for a first hand opinion on that bit of information.

"Long modified before I even set foot of the ship." Ezra smirks, as the two walk into the ship, talking about varies specks of spacecraft. Chewbacca enters after them.

Sana goes to walk in, but Zara grabs her arms, "This ship is safe, right?"

Sana shrugs, "She hasn't failed, yet. But one of these days it is going to break and Han will loose his mind trying to figure out why." Sana walks in.

Zara sigh, too late now. "Wonder if I can get Han to teach Ezra how to shave for twenty credits?"

* * *

Tamara sighs in her office. Between the rebellion, her duties as governor, some idiot on the floors almost causing the biggest shipping malfunction since the trade federation's invasion of Naboo, and running up every lead to find Ezra, she's been busy. And for her to admit it... She sighs. Then, with a groan, she presses her desk com. "Hey, Warden. Think we could cancel my last meeting with..." For the life of her, she couldn't remember. "Whoever, and head home early." She already knows that Warden will say no. She'd have to fight for it. And, honestly, she wasn't up for that.

"The president of the fuel company with the monopoly." Warden walks in. "And done. Rescheduled for next week." Warden sets down the datapad. Tamara looks at him, stunned. Warden has never done that. "Let's go home."

"Right," Tamara sighs, getting up with the help of the desk. She shoves a few datapads into her briefcase. They exit the imperial complex and into her beautiful city. Tamara can't help think it would be more beautiful without the complex. They reach their speeder. Tamara gets into the driver seat.

Warden looks at her, "You're walking slower lately..."

Tamara doesn't respond immediately. "Age is just catching up with me."

Warden thinks it more of worry hanging onto her. After all, Tamara is always running around and has never once slowed down in the twenty plus years he has been in service to her. He hopes it is anyway.

They reach the apartment and head up immediately. Cookie comes out to the lobby area. "Oh, good your home. Our guests will be glad to know."

Tamara looks utterly astonished. Cookie normally knows better than… "I'm sorry Cookie, but I am just not up for guests..."

"Oh, all right." Cookie says, going into the apartment and saying loudly, "Sorry, Zara. Sorry, Ezra. Apparently, Tamara's not up for entertaining just now."

"COOKIE! If you are kriffing me over, I swear I will rip out your circuits!" Tamara shouts as she marches into her apartment. She sees her daughter and her godson sitting on the coach, watching some holonet sport. They look up and smile at her. They both jump up and Zara races to hug her. Tamara is fairly certain that she runs, too. Cause Zara is in her arms and Tamara can't remember when that happened. Ezra smiles. Tamara frees a hand and ruffles Ezra hair. "You two are here! You're alive!" Tamara sniffs the air. "And you reek." Both groan.

"Still, we both took a shower when we got here." Ezra says, sniffing the inside of his shirt.

"I shouldn't be surprised. I spent fifteen years camping out in a swamp." Zara groans.

"Okay, shower first. Then, dinner. Oh, I have to contact my rebel contact, he'll pass on the word to Fulcrum and to the Ghost cell. Tomorrow, I am getting you both new clothes-"

"Your meetings tomorrow." Warden protests.

"Cancel 'em, Warden." Tamara says. "This is the first time I've seen my daughter in over fifteen years."

"Is it just me or is-" Zara whispers to Ezra.

Ezra nods, "Yeah, still trying to figure out how droids have Force signatures."

"Oh, Ezra you must have grown at least an inch and a half in the past three months!" Tamara smiles, grateful they are back.

* * *

**Author's Corner****: Fantasie Adventura Dreamwriter. You are all probably reading their work already, but I, in good conscious, not mention her. She is just too good. Every single one of her works is worth a read and given the amount of works she has that is impressive.**

**Thank You Time! Thank locked and loaded61 for following. Thank you DarkShadows1999 for following and favoriting. Thank you Midnight Luna, Jelsa777, and Paint the Fangirling UniWolf for reviewing.**

**Midnight, the Wind Cell works nearly identically as the Wind Tribe. As such, it is far more democratic than most cells. Each member has an equal say in what happens on board. The leader's job is to sort all those opinions and come up with a solution that keeps everyone safe and gets the job done. Anyone can disagree with the plan, and the plan would be scrapped unless they can be convinced the plan is a good plan. Also, Talia wasn't the leader. Talia was the co-leader. Orin and Talia shared power equally. With Talia gone, he is the leader. If he was some how taken out of commission, I think Ariadne would take up the roll of leadership, though it would be far more democratic than it already is.**

**Jelsa777, I would like to thank your family the sacrifices they have made for our freedom. It is in no way a small price. And I am grateful for it every single day.**

**Welcome back, Paint. How was your tenure with Sparkle? **

**That is a great song and if I didn't already have a theme for them, I'd totally agree. But I think I found a song that fits them perfectly. It's "Hey Brother" and I have no idea who did it, but if you go to YouTube some one made a Star Wars Rebels amv with it. Just type in "Hey Brother Star Wars Rebel". You'll find it.**

**Really? It only took you 29 chapters and two specials to figure it out? ;) Are you sure? Cause there are some interesting nuances to Mando'a. What do you think it means?**

**I am thankful for my family, friends, and reviewer. Thank you everyone.**

**Question Time: With Christmas getting close, I have to ask. Does anyone know where I can find Luna stuff from MLP? She's my sibling's favorite character and I can only find stuff from the Mane Six.**


	32. Chapter 30: Truth and Lies

**RUHLSAR000 Here! How have you been? I am doing fine. Things have calmed down greatly. But not enough for me to update on Friday… Next week. Next week I should be able to update Friday. You know the drill.**** I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICKEY!**** I apologize for errors, delays, and long winded author's notes.**

* * *

"What are we picking up again?" D sighs, exhausted. The days seem to just wear on her. Nothing changes.

"It's a surprise." Hera smiles.

D looks out the elevator window. Who the heck do they know who owns a penthouse in the middle of the capital of Callili? Zeb seemed just as uncomfortable as she is. Sabine keeps looking around, as if expecting to be jumped. And Chopper... Chopper was actually really relaxed. If a droid could be relax. They enter a lobby area with dark red carpets that are probably as comfy as her bed, and large windows.

Kanan rings the doorbell. A protocol droid answers the door. "Hello, and you are?"

"I'm-" Kanan starts, but Chopper zooms past.

"I haven't seen manners that bad since that old C1 unit Master Snark was so fond of." The protocol droid says. Chopper beeps at him. "Oh, heaven help us. It is you."

"C1?" A woman's voice pipes up, as she walks into the room in a white tunic mid-thigh length dress, with dark blue embroidery and a cinched waste, that swishes with each step while she runs a white towel through her blonde hair. Chopper zooms up to her whorling.

"We're doomed." the protocol droid groans.

"C1-10P! It is you!" The blonde drops the towel and kneels down to hug him. Chopper proceeds to zap her. "Ow! We're back to this?" Chopper beeps at her. "Yeah, yeah. More like your way of saying 'I like to see people jump'." She says in a snark. Chopper beeps again. "What can I say? Snark wore off on me..."

The woman suddenly stands and looks directly at Kanan, "Ca-nan?"

"Zara?" Kanan asks, pleasantly. Zara rushes over a hugs him. "Woah, that's new."

"Yes, I'm less of a...How did you put it C1?" Zara glances back at the droid. "Stick in the mud." Chopper beeps at her. "Let's keep it PG."

Kanan smirks, "There's the Zara I know." Zara pulls back and smacks him. Kanan chuckles. "Everyone, this is Zara DeLune, a friend and Jedi." Kanan looks around, confused. "Where's Ezra?" Zeb, Sabine and D's jaws drop, their heads' snapping around.

Zara sighs, "He's probably in the back. He kind of lost his memory for a while. And then he remembered finding out his father is dead... It hit him hard enough to take out his memories."

"I thought he already believed they were dead." Sabine asks.

"True, but having your sister shove your father pickled head into your lap is more than a little traumatizing." Zara shrugs.

"Heaven above," Tamara says, something for the first time, from the kitchenette. "Is that what happened?"

Kanan moves to go into the next room, but Hera catches him. She sends him a look. She'll talk to him. They both know about what. Kanan nods. Hera goes through a door.

Zara sighs, "You going to introduce me to your crew?"

"Right." Kanan says, "You seem know Chopper. How, I am not sure."

Zara reaches around and stops Chopper at arms length, "Enough, C1." Chopper puts the probe away.

"Name's Garazeb Orreleos. Friends call me Zeb." Zeb extends a hand.

"Hope I can call you Zeb, then," Zara takes his hand.

Sabine steps forward, "Sabine Wren."

"Sabine Wren..." Zara ponders for a moment, then snaps her fingers, "You're Romulas's kid, aren't you?"

"YOU KNEW MY PARENTS?!" Sabine shouts.

"Just your father. We had a mutual friend, Snark. In fact, your grandfather adopted Snark. So, I guess he's your uncle. Tell me, how are they?" Zara smiles fondly at her memories of them.

"They're dead." Sabine looks down.

Zara places a hand on her shoulder, "They'd be proud of you. Heck, Romulas never shut up about his beautiful little girl. Heck, C1, don't you still have some recordings of that?"

Chopper beeps confirmation of one or two. "Any chance I could meet this uncle of mine?" Sabine asks, sadly.

Zara sighs. Tamara looks back to her cocoa. Zara speaks, pain lacing her voice, "I'm sorry, he died about five years ago." Zara wipes away the tears forming in her eyes. "He was like that dang older brother who was so kriffing annoying but had you back the moment you needed it. He was that to everyone. He was everyone's brother, friend and father. He was so kriffing amazing." Kanan squeezes her shoulder. Zara smiles weakly at him, but tries to pull herself together. Chopper rolls quietly over to Tamara, who pats him on the head.

Sabine recalls the man who talked to her after that fight with her parents. He was so kind… just as Zara describe her uncle. Could that have been her unknown uncle? Sabine looks at Chopper, "Snark seemed to get around."

"You have no idea..." Kanan sighs, leaning against the window. "He saved my life... And I was a jerk when I saw him, I was so mad at the clonetroopers... I…"

"Hey, if I was out in the field during the order, I'd have felt just like you did. Snark never once blamed you for that." Zara says, putting her hand on his shoulder. She had to be strong for everyone.

"How do you know?" Kanan asks. He didn't know Snark like Zara.

"Cause that's Snark. He was the snarkiest son of a Bantha I'll ever meet, and the most compassionate." Zara smiles, gently.

"I never said thanks or paid him back." Kanan sighs.

That got a smirk out of Zara. "Believe me if he was here, he'd be the one saying thank you, cause in his mind you've already paid him back in full and then some… No, then a lot."

"What do you mean?" Kanan asks.

Zara maintains her smirk, but sighs. "Ca-nan, you don't know how much I want to tell you. You and Ezra. Master Akatsukin always said, they truth finds us when we most need it, and we ask for it when are ready for to hear what we already know. I have to respect her teachings, especially for this."

Kanan sighs, remembering his own master. He nods his heads. "Alright, I'll trust you."

Zara turns her attention to D, "And who is this?"

D stops herself from gasping. An aqua color covers Zara. Slowly an aqua string comes off her heart. D glances down at her own heart, she's turned a brilliant shade of bluish purple. A string comes from her heart. They come forward and connect merging into one string connecting them. D swears in her head. She had seen this before. It was stronger, thicker connecting the two slightly different shades of blue Force signatures of Ezra and Kanan. A master-padawan bond… D blinks away her sensing the Force, forcing it down. That had been more than she had allowed herself to do for the past three month.

D can't be trained… She is too close to the dark side…

* * *

There he is. Hera smiles gently. He is leaning on the window, arm pressed to the glass over his head. "Hey," Hera smiles.

Ezra looks up and smiles sadly at her. "Hey."

"The others are outside..." Hera says.

"I know... I just needed a moment... a lot more than a moment..." Ezra says. "Besides the amount of emotions being flung in there... I thought it would be best to give _them_ a moment."

"How are you doing?" Hera asks.

"Is there any doubt in how I am feeling?" Ezra shakes his head, going and sitting on the bed. Hera goes and sits down next to him. She notices he has grown. "I knew my parents were dead. I've none for years. So… why does it hurt so much? I thought I went through this already! Yet… I willed myself to forget everything when... Sunny must be feeling so guilty."

"How could possibly you know that?" Hera asks, doubting his sister. She has hurt Ezra so much. How could she possibly care about Ezra? She is just another inquisitor, one who will uses her past with Ezra to hurt him, to try and turn him.

"Her face. The moment after she realized what she did. It was horrified. She didn't realize what she was doing." Ezra says.

Hera feels something foreign in her. It's mild but it is there. How could he defend his sister? After everything she has done? It's like his family could do no wrong in his eyes. Even during the Empire Day stuff, he never said anything bad or showed any anger at his parents for doing stuff that endangered them. Endangered Him! Him and Sunny!

His anger was at others for not helping them.

Where did that come from? Of course, he wouldn't. They were heroes. Why had she thought that?

"It hurts." Ezra's voice breaks her out of her inner ramble. "Why them? They only ever cared for others..." He is going to hate her. Ezra is going to hate her. But he needs her to tell him. He needs her to tell him, right now.

"Ezra..." Her voice wavers, but her resolve does not. "Your father may be dead… But, your mother isn't."

Ezra takes a moment to respond. "What…" His voice is soft and laced with an unwillingness to believe it, to let himself be hurt again, but there is a contradiction in it as well. A soft edge praying that he can hope against all reasonablity.

"Your mother is alive..." Hera puts a hand on his shoulder. "Tseebo... He went to work for the information office to find out what happened to them… As he left the _Ghost_, he became better… He was able to tell me what happened to your parents. She is alive… At least, she was when he hacked the intelligence office. She was..." Ezra is quiet and… What Hera wouldn't give to be Force sensitive at this moment… "I wanted to tell you, immediately… But… With what happen on the base… And then there just wasn't a good time. I know, I should have made time. You had every right to know and you have every right to be anger. I am sorry for keeping this from you." Hera wipes her eye, not ready for him to yell, to shout, but knowing it is to coming.

Ezra sighs, and calmly says, "How can I be mad, when I've been doing the same thing?"

"What?" Hera asks, confused.

"I get it, Hera. Tell me my parents are alive... that my mother is alive… it isn't exactly something you can drop on route to a mission or at dinner, even if it is good news..." Ezra wipes his own tears away. "I... And I only had bad news. I never lied when I said Talia was the only Twi'lek taken on Lothal... But… What I left out that Talia has a five petal flower design on her lekku..." Ezra watches as her, as her mind connects the dots. "Talia could still not be her... But, with her being captured, it would only worry you. Though… Talia could have escape. Though… with her not knowing the planet she'll be capture again… quickly. Though… it wouldn't be the first time she surprised me..."

"Stop." Hera says. Ezra quickly stops, looking down. "When was she taken?"

"Young. We think around two but it is hard to tell. It would be on her taken file, though. Along with her last name! Talia's one of the few Takens whose last name is in her file! Karablast, I wish I could have read it." Ezra starts rambling.

"Ezra, Ezra, calm down." Hera says, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"You're mad..." Ezra looks down, as he feels her emotion.

"Of course, I am. And I am hurt you didn't tell me." Hera says, calmly.

"I didn't want to hurt you." Ezra looks down.

"But I'll deal with it." Hera tilts his head up to her. "Ezra, you are here. You are alive. My sister is alive. She will be found. Ezra, this is a happy day."

"I wish..." Ezra sighs.

"I know..." Hera sighs.

Ezra bites his lips, "May I have a hug?" Hera looks up at the sixteen year old. She doesn't answer. Instead, she pulls him into her arms. Ezra leans close rapping his arms around her. This is the first time in over nine years that he has been hugged like this, like he is safe. Like some is protecting him.

Hera smiles gently, the foreign feeling subsiding. As much as she jokes about Zeb, Sabine, and Ezra being her kids, they are. And Ezra, more so than the others. Zeb is almost twice as old as she is. And Sabine was already stretching the wings of independence when her parents died. She didn't need someone in that slot. Ezra did, even if there are already two people there. Ezra is her son.

Even when they find his mother, and they will, his mother wouldn't have this moment. It is hers and Ezra's, and only theirs. So, they sit there, her son in her arms. She is happy.

"Happy Belated Birthday, Ezra." Hera whispers.

* * *

D is proceeding to panic. "Hey, you okay?" Zara tilts head, oblivious to the connection that would change both their lives if D let it.

D forces a smile, "Yeah, I'm... great."

"This is D." Kanan introduces them.

"D? That stand for something?" Zara smiles. D senses comforting feelings coming from the woman. D shrugs it off, ignoring the concerned twinge coming off her.

"Probably." D shrugs, then cross her arms. "Don't know, though." Dhara. The name echoes in her head. Dhara Leonis.

Zara raise an eyebrow. "D is a Force sensitive from a fellow cell and a friend of Ezra's." Kanan explains. "She's been a little depressed since Ezra went missing, so when her commander found out Ezra had been found, he asked if she could come."

D squeezes her arms, "Right..." Sage wasn't worried about her. Zara looks at her worried. "So," D sighs, "How long do you think it will take for Ezra to come out?"

"Could be a while..." Kanan looks towards the door. "Though I don't hear any yelling..."

"Why would there be yelling?" Sabine asks, sitting down on the couch.

Kanan sighs, sitting down, not looking at any one, "Because Hera knew what happened to Ezra's parents."

"And you- she- How?" Sabine stutters. Everyone moving to the couch.

"Tseebo." Kanan says. A look of understanding crosses Sabine and Zeb's faces. Yet, D, Zara, and Tamara simple look confused.

"Tha was a year ago." Zeb says.

"Look, we should have told him sooner. But, there hasn't been a chance. This wasn't exactly something you could say on way to a mission. And our conclusion was wrong..." Kanan sighs, looking down.

"What do you mean?" Zara asks.

"Tseebo found record of both Mira and Ephraim escaping. And then there was a list of sightings by imperials... We thought that they both were alive because Mira had been sighted a few weeks before Tseebo ran, leaving some system. We thought they'd be together. But, clearly that wasn't the case."

"Mira... She's alive?" Zara ask, her voice hopeful.

"At least she was a year and a few month ago." Kanan say.

"She's still alive. She's a fighter." Tamara smiles, wiping her eyes.

Things stay quiet for a little while. They are all processing the information that is swirling in their minds.

After a while, Zara looks over a D. "So, D, you're Force sensitive?" D reluctantly nods. "So, do you want be a Jedi?"

"N..No..." D says, looking away. She is lying. She wants it. She wants it so bad it hurts. She wants to be a protector. She wants to be a peacekeeper. She wants to know about this gift...curse...power... thing she can do.

Kanan and Zara both look at her funny. Zara tilts her head, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure." D says. Sure that she can't go down this road.

"You're lying." Zara says. Her voice isn't accusing, but it might as well be.

"No. No I am not!" D stands.

"Then, why are you getting defensive?" Zara asks, calmly, even leaning further into the coach.

"I am not being defensive!" D shouts.

Zara raises an eyebrow. "Okay. You're not being defensive. Why are you shouting?"

"I AM NOT SHOUTING!" D yells.

"Yeah, you are." Ezra says.

"Ezra!" D spins around, rushing over and hugging him. He gently returns it. They pull away after a second. "You're taller." She notes. She, herself, has grown as well and he is now half an inch taller than she is.

"So I've heard." Ezra says. "What's with the shouting?"

"I was offering to train her in the ways of the Jedi." Zara says.

"That's great." Ezra looks at D. Then realizes something. "Those wasn't shrieks of joy..."

"Why would I shriek with joy? It's not like I want to be a Jedi. They only have targets on their back..." D says, turning away. Please drop it.

Ezra doesn't, turning her back to him. "What? D... You want to be a Jedi. Heck, the second sentence you said to me was about trying to convince Ahsoka to train you."

"I don't want it anymore." D says.

Ezra looks like he is about say something but he glances around. He gentle pushes her to the room he was just in. "Give us a moment." Without another word, he drags them both in, shutting the door behind them.

After a moment, Tamara looks at her daughter. "You looked so much like Miranda, right then."

Zara smiles. "I can't tell you how frustrating it was being on the receiving end that."

* * *

As soon as the door closes, Ezra orders, "Okay, spill."

D sits down on the bed. Should she... She'd be lying if she said that she didn't want to. And she had almost convinced herself that the lie was true in the past three months.

"D, please." Ezra sits down next to her. "You helped me when I needed it. And quiet frankly, you don't look much better than I did back then."

"I..." D is over come with shame. "I can't..."

"D..." Ezra sighs then gently says, "Kanan told me once I would never be a Jedi if I kept lying to myself. And that's not just for being a Jedi, but moving forward and living. You're lying if you say you're fine. You're lying if say you don't need help, if you don't want help. You helped me, now let me help you."

D sighs, "I don't think you can."

"We won't know until you talk to me." Ezra says.

"I... Three months ago... I used the dark side." D whispers.

Ezra takes her hand. "Okay, you used the dark side, once, that doesn't mean you can't be a Jedi."

"The dark side is the way of the Empire and the inquisitors." D begins to cry.

"Hey, you are still learning. And, you wouldn't be the first padawan to have brushed it." Ezra says. "I used it, too. Once." D looks at him. "Kanan and I were cornered by a pa'un inquisitor. Kanan had been knock unconscious. I... I actually don't remember what happened next. But apparently I summoned a large beast and set him on the inquisitor. I collapse after it."

"But that isn't a strictly dark side technique." D sighs. "I Force choked an ISB agent. If Sage hadn't knocked some sense into me... I would have killed him."

"Then, learn to control it." Ezra says.

"You don't get it!" D shouts, standing and walks over to the window. Then, she spins back to him. "I was trained as an Inquisitor. I don't know how much. I don't even remember how I escape. Just the pain, the dark, and the cold. I swore never to use that. Yet, when the going got tough, I fell back to it!"

"Because you had nothing else to fall back on." Ezra says, knowing that if D had training she would not have used it.

"I could have Force pushed him. I could have shot him. I could have done anything else to protect Willy. But I didn't." D shouts.

"D... I think you should become Zara's padawan. But, I am not the one who needs to make this decision." Ezra says. "Just... If you need to talk, I will listen."

"You think I am making a mistake." D says.

"One that can be corrected." Ezra says. D looks out the window, wondering if it is a mistake that _should_ be correct. She is surprised when arms wrap around her. She buries her head into Ezra's shoulder and cries for her lost dreams.

* * *

**Writer's Corner****: KikakatTIOI. They have one Star Wars Rebels fic, Waited on a Second Chance. It is really good and I think it is underappreciated.**

**Thank you Durandai II. Thank you Kayla103849, Painting the Fangirling UniWolf, Jelsa777, and Midnight Luna for reviewing.**

**Kayla103849, indeed Ezra is back with the crew.**

**Paint, remind me not to get on Sparkle's bad side. He seems a little nuts. Why did he shoot a microwave? That's some poor college student's life. I discovered the perfect theme for Sonya and surprisingly it came from perhaps the weirdest musical to grace Broadway. It's call Who I'd be from Shrek the Musical. Just replace Ogre with Inquisitor and Star Wars-a-fy the lyrics. My personal replacement is hero to Jedi, Viking to pirate or bounty hunter (depending on how fast I can sing), and poet to either poet or artist. It literally fits perfectly. Guess that makes Chance Fionna. Crud, I am not going to stop thinking about that image. Music save me! *Turns on music* Crud, its my theme for Kanan and Ezra's relationship. Now I am going to have to make a song fic for it cause no ones made an amv yet.**

**Jesla777, thank you for the suggestion.**

**Midnight, I didn't want to assume. Thank you. My siblings loves the action figure stuff and doesn't have that many.**


	33. Chapter 31: Beta

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Happy Thanksgiving! Yay, D developing chapter! You know the drill. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WAR REBELS! ALL HAIL THE MOUSE!**** I apologize for errors, delays and long-winded author's notes.**

* * *

Ezra glances down as he sits in the common room. His arm had fallen asleep about fifteen minutes ago, but he can't move it. It is pinned by the sleeping girl. To his relief, D looks peaceful now. Ezra sighs.

Honestly, he didn't know what to think. For D, it may very well be different. A Force choke is nothing to sniff out. But, he knows D. She is good. She is strong. Her spirit, her faith, her smile are all something to be admired. Would... Could someone like that fall?

His first instinct is to say no. He is so much worse than she is, even at his best. Yet, he can and will resist.

But then there is Sunny, who, even now, Ezra can't think of anyone kinder. She was so much better than even D, even at her worst. Yet, she fell.

So, what is it that causes someone to fall? Is it about being strong enough to resist. Or is it something else.

Ezra turns his head as Zara enters the room. She sits down next to him. She smiles down at D. "How's my padawan doing?" She whispers, as not to wake her.

"I thought she rejected your offer." Ezra whispers his sigh.

"The Force has other plans it seems." Zara whispers. "True, I can't train her if she doesn't want it, but the Force has already started forming a master-padawan bond."

"Already?" Ezra asks, his own didn't start until after Stygeon Prime.

"It's barely there. I can barely sense it while trying to." Zara explains in a hush.

"I wonder if D will be able to see it." Ezra breathes.

"So she can see the following of the Force..." Zara sighs. "Ezra, I know D is you're friend and you would never betray her trust, but I need to know why she is so against being train. I can't help her unless I know."

Ezra sighs, looking down at his sleeping friend.

* * *

"Sage! A word!" Ahsoka calls. Sage nods, breaking off from his meeting with the leaders of each squad of the Phoenix cell.

"Are they back?" Sage asks. Willy has been rather short tempered for the last few days, snapping at any one who talks about D. Sally and Talvin have been quiet, having finally accepted her into their ranks. Ahsoka leads him away

"Yep. D is some what better." Ahsoka reassures. "However, they have picked up a new recruit that will be assigned to your cell."

"Are you sure that is a good idea, Ma'am?" Sage wonders.

"Well, there really isn't another place to put her. She is a veteran of the Clone Wars. Highly skill in both negotiation and fighting." Ahsoka says, then glancing around she whispers, "She makes good use of a lightsaber."

Sage's eyes widen, as he looks around immediately. "A Jedi?" He more mouthes than whispers. Ahsoka nods. Sage immediately understands why she needs to go into his cell. To minimize the knowledge spread of Jedi and their alliance to the Rebelliion. There are many who still don't trust the Jedi. They walk into a planning room.

"I am assuming you would like her put in Beta Squad." Sage says.

"That would be preferred." A firm voice says. He looks up to see a blonde haired young woman with her hair partial up and dressed in a pair of jeans, boots, and a long black T-shirt synched by a thick belt with a holster attached to her leg. "Zara DeLune, your new member." She holds out her hand.

"You? You don't look old enough to be have fought in the Clone Wars." Sage raises an eyebrow, but takes her hand, exchanging a firm handshake.

"I am thirty-four. Older than your commander." Zara reassures, looking at Ahsoka.

"So am I." Sage says, "Pardon my disbelieve, Miss DeLune."

"The Force is the breath of life, weaving in and out of people, plants, and dirt. Those granted strength in it may live longer than their species norm and maintain their youth." Zara explains.

"Well, welcome aboard." Sage says.

* * *

D sighs as she looks at the holonet search engine. "Kriff it, Coward. Do it." D growls, to herself in her and Sally's cabin. She types quickly. D-H-A-R-A. L-E-O-N-I-S. Enter. There is about five billion hits, including one to a striper in the midrim. Really? Stick to something like Sparkly Cherrywood.

She scrolls the names, clicking randomly searching for anything that might be useful. Nothing. Their simply is to much. Maybe if she could hack the Empire's files. D shakes her head. She is already on thin ice. If they found out she hack the data without permission from Sage, because of the security risk, she'd be thought to be a traitor. She couldn't ask Sage. D sighs. Who is she?

* * *

D groans internally as Zara plops down next to her for the briefing. Zara flashes her a smile, ignoring the looks from around the room. Willy leans over and says to D, "Be sure to pay attention. Sage is putting you back on active duty." D's head snaps to him. Stunned, D nods. And she pays attention. By the end she knows not just her part but everyone else's. She will do right this time. She has to.

"If all goes well, the factory will be destroyed. Dismissed." Sage says. Everyone meanders out. Only two are left, Zara and Sage.

"You want to talk to me?" Zara says, not getting up from her spot.

"I hope your right about this." Sage says, gruffly. "She has gotten better but is no where near-"

"For someone who is so good at seeing the tactics of the enemy, you suck at seeing your own crews mindset." Zara says. "She's scared, Commander Sage."

"Scared? She's never been scared of the Empire before..." Sage disagrees.

"Not of the Empire. Of herself. Of others views of her. Of yours of her." Zara says. "Do you really not notice how some of your crew look at her. Like a traitor."

"I know. But it is not within my power to change their mind. Only they can. But D has never let it bother her before." Sage sighs.

"That's because she thought you had faith in her. But, she's lost faith in herself. She's lost faith in her abilities. And she thinks you have, too. She needs to get back into the game." Zara says.

"I hope your right." Sage sighs.

* * *

Zara looks at D as she polishes her blaster. D ignores her. "Hey," Zara says. D ignores her. Zara rolls her eyes. "How are you doing, Padawan?"

"I am not your padawan!" D nearly drops the blaster.

"You and I both know that the Force has different plans." Zara says.

"Yeah, well, I have different plans than the Force." D glowers.

"You and I both know you are lying to yourself." Zara sits by D.

"I am not lying!" D huffs.

"It's all right to be afraid. The only people who says they aren't afraid are fools or trying to sell something." Zara wraps D's hand around something. "When you are ready to be trained, gives this back to me. Until then hang on to this." Zara gets up and leaves.

D looks down at the object. She sucks in a breath. A lightsaber.

* * *

"Have I mentioned vents are made to torture people?" D groans.

"Shut up and crawl." Sally says. "Charge 3 set. Here. Beta 3 Out."

"Roger that, Beta 3. Setting charge 2 as we speak. Beta 4?" Zara says seriously.

"Almost there, Beta 5." D huffs. "Beta 2?" Only static. "Beta 2?" Nothing.

"Phoenix 2, mind checking on Beta 2?" D hears Zara say over her com.

"Doing so." Willy says.

D reaches the vent she is supposed to exit and gasps. "Found Beta 2. And it's not good." Talvin stands in the room, cuffed and surrounded by troopers. "Beta 2's been captured. I'm counting at least fourteen trooper."

Willy lets lose a group of words that D didn't know he knew. "We are going to have to abort the mission."

"What?" Sally protests over the com. "What about Beta 2?"

"He knows the risk of this line of work." Willy sighs.

"Abandon him?" D asks, horrified.

"If it means protecting the unit and the rebellion, then yes." Willy says.

D looks down into the room, fingering her blaster. With a blaster, she couldn't take them out. Her hand moves to Zara's lightsaber. She knows enough to use it, the basics anyway. But would that be enough to survive. "I'm sorry, Phoenix 1." D sighs. "That's not how I roll."

"Beta 4! Beta 4!" Willy calls.

D sighs, then dives down into the room, knocking out two bucketheads in the process. She duck blaster fire, kicking out two more bucketheads' legs, before slamming their heads into the ground. She jumps at another trooper using his head as a spring board in another one. Faster. She needs to move faster. She round house kicks another trooper's blaster away before kicking him in the head sending him to the ground.

She feels a barrel of a blaster at her head. "You're done." A trooper says. D spins fast knocking the blaster out of his hands and flinging him onto the ground. She looks up looking for the remaining six troopers, but they are all on the ground. Instead, Zara is smiling at her, undoing Talvin's handcuffs, "Abandoning people isn't how I roll either." Talvin's cuffs drop to the floor. "Let's go."

The three run through the hallways. As they turn they nearly run into two stormtrooper "Halt!" The troopers shout. Willy emerges behind them and slams their heads together. Sally comes out of a hallway right after that.

"You two!" Willy growls, in a rare display of fury. "I could have you court martialed for this. You disobeyed a direct order!"

Zara raises and eyebrow and looks at D. "Was that a direct order?"

D smirks, "Seemed like a suggestion to me."

"Enough! I thought you to knew this isn't a game"! Willy growls at D.

"Of course I know that!" D snaps back, getting genuinely peeved. "I know this isn't a game. I know the risks. Better than you do! I get captured and I get sent back to the hole that has been haunting my nightmares since I joined your squad. I'll get torture and beaten and, if I am lucky, killed as an example. But, nothing justifies leaving a man behind. That's what the Empire does. That's not what we do. We stoop to their level then what are we fighting for? To replace a corrupt government with an equally corrupt government."

"We aren't like that!" Sally growls.

"Then prove it." D says.

"This is war. There are sacrifices in war." Willy say.

"But that doesn't mean we have to make them willingly." D states, not backing down.

"Come on, we've wasted enough time." Zara says, brushing past them, affectively ending the argument. They run down the halls, turning down the ways to get out.

"There they are!" A trooper among many yells. Beta squad runs in the opposite direction. As the run through a set of blast doors, Talvin shoot the door control panels.

"Nice thinking." Sally smiles, then looks at the locked hanger doors. "Now we just need a way through those."

Talvin looks around, then back at the panel, "I think I just shot them."

The panel slides up two inches. "They're coming through." Willy shouts.

Zara sighs. "Already? Really?" She steps further into the hanger door. "I can get it open. But I will be exposed."

D sighs, knowing she is the only one who can cover her. She grabs Zara's lightsaber. She doesn't do this and they all die. It's her fault they are in this. But... Can she take up a lightsaber... Can she be a Jedi...

"Huttslime!" Talvin shouts, as the door opens another two inches.

D steps between Zara and the rising door. She takes a calming breath then ignites the blade. "Leave this to me. Master, get the door open!"

"On it." Zara says closing her eyes in concentration. D closes her eyes for a second, willing her sense to return. But, she feels it around her before she even tries to call it back. It never left her. The Force is there. Always there. It changes, sure. Like the sway of the tide. Sometimes here, sometimes there, but the ocean always remains. D opens her eyes and is almost overwhelmed. Multi-colored cords stretch everywhere, connect everything. They pulse and sing like a guitar string. And the one between her and her master, that strangely beautiful weaving of aqua and purple, is growing. It is fragile but stronger.

And almost like a ghost in her mind, she feels and sees something else. An echo of a memory. She barely sees it like it is in the corner of her eye. Small dark hands grasping at these threads. As a child, she could see this sometime. They were a rare gem of beauty that she never knew what they were. She knows now. And she is ready to use it.

She reluctantly forces down the technicolored world, leaving only a few strings that she had been unable to stop seeing, focusing on sensing what comes next.

NOW! The door flies open. Blast begin to fire. D deflects one. Then two. Then another. And another. More and more fall upon her.

"Focus fire on the Jedi!" A trooper yells. The entire squad's fire falls on her. Still, she doesn't yield. Yes, she can't deflect back, but she can deflect each of the blast. And she does so. Her breath turns ragged as sweat beads on her face, but she doesn't stop. Three blast come at once. She blocks two but the third clips her shoulder, breaking her concentration.

She looses her grasp on what's to come. The lightsaber falls out of her hand as she stumbles back. A blast is fired at Zara, who is to focused to move, having just about finished unlocking the door. D does the only thing she can. She blocks the blast. With herself. The hanger door flies open. Zara catches her padawan. D with her last bit of strength summons the lightsaber and grasps it with a vice grip. "Sorry about this." Zara flings her over her shoulder. "Everyone! MOVE!" No one argues. They run out of the hanger to a landing _Firebird_. They take off quickly.

Talvin smirks. "What are you smirking at?" Sally raises an eyebrow. Talvin just presses a button on his wrist. The set charges explode, destroying two fifth of the base.

"Wasn't a total lose." Talvin smirk grows.

Zara looks up from D, who she set down on a few seats. Then Zara smile and whispers, "No, not a total lose at all." She rubs bacta into the wound in D's side. D smiles, then hands Zara back her lightsaber. Zara smiles, "Thank you, Padawan."

* * *

Sage is on the war path. He knew better. He knew better. He knew D wasn't up for missions. And yet, he let himself be cojotataled in to believing this, this newcomer who was halled up in a swamp for fifteen years because she allegedly knew about the Force. And it got D hurt. He sees Willy out side the infirmary, leaning against the wall.

With a big smile, Willy stands, "Hey Sage. Guess you were right to put her back on missions."

Sage freezes, "What? But she got injured."

"But, I haven't seen her this energetic in months." Willy smiles. "She is practically driving the medical droid up the wall. It's like she's trying to make up for being so sullen."

"What do you mean?" Sage says, confused.

"See for yourself." Willy smiles.

Sage steps into the infirmary. D bounces up into a sitting position. "Sage!" She smiles, brightly. She smiles! Sage can't help but stare at the expression that had become foreign.

"That's it I give up." The medical droid groans going back to his charging port. "Call me when I need to patch her up again."

"I sense a meditation drill coming up." Zara says dryly.

"Ooo... What's that?" D's head snaps to Zara, like a kid being promised candy.

"Something that bores every teen to tears. With the one exception of Ezra." Zara smirks. D gulps, wondering what she is getting herself into.

Sage just stares at D. Even though she has been injured, she is so much better than before. It's actually quite scary. Sage gulps it down. "D, how are you doing?"

"Much better than I've been in a while." D admits.

Zara smirks in a way that clearly says, _I told you so_.

Sage sighs, "Try not to get hurt again. I don't like seeing any of my people injured." Sage walks out of the infirmary feeling better than he has in a while.

* * *

The infirmary has cleared leaving Zara and D alone. "So, when is our first lesson?" D asks.

"As soon as the medical droid clears you and we have a space we can use." Zara says. "Though, you should be aware that while I can teach you the things required to be a Jedi, only you can determine if you are to become a Jedi. And I probably won't teach you your most important lessons."

"What do you mean?" D asks, confused. Isn't a master suppose to teach their padawan how to be a Jedi?

Zara pauses, wondering how best to answer. But… maybe an example is best. "The most important lesson I have ever learned wasn't from training or on the battlefield. I was very much a straight laced by the book Jedi when the Jedi were around." Zara sits down on the edge of D's medical bed. "I was never one to question the order of things. Even when I broke the rules, however rare that was, I felt the rules were right and I wasn't strong enough to obey them. But, then, my master got pregnant and while I disagreed heavily with her, I did help her. I thought while she was wrong, she wasn't bad. The master I knew couldn't do anything bad.

"Then, her baby came. I learned perhaps my most important lesson. From a baby not even an hour old, no less. Looking at my master holding him, the look of unconditional love in her eyes, despite both of us knowing she couldn't keep him. I couldn't, for the life of anyone, figure out how that could be bad or wrong. And that feeling only increased when she held his twin sister along with him. I just couldn't understand the mentality behind the code any more. So I meditated and trained for a long time. And the only conclusion I came to was one I had already made, but didn't understand. Now, I do."

"So be aware that lessons can come from anywhere?" D summarizes.

"Exactly." Zara smiles.

The door slides open. Both of them look up. A girl a little younger than D steps in, "I hope I am not interrupting..." She has short brown hair and is dressed in a long lose tye-dye shirt and leggings with a green vest over the top.

D and Zara share a look. Zara shrugs, "Nothing that can't be dealt with later. Is there something you need..." Zara realizes she has no clue who she is, though she vaguely remembers the girl is from Gamma.

"Marsha." D says, weary. She's one of the many people who actively distrusted her after the incident. As energetic as D feels right now, she really isn't up for listening to others' never ending stupidity. Her shield had collapsed and she isn't sure she can pull them back up.

"Yes..." Marsha sighs. "I just wanted to apologize for doubting you, D."

"What?" D asks, confused. "Why? It's not like you can control who you trust. Besides, given my back story it's not that surprising."

"Yeah, but you've been here a long time and I still didn't... I heard about how you wouldn't leave a comrade and about how that's what the Empire would have done... And you are right… And I haven't really given you a fair chance to prove yourself. That wasn't fair of me." Marsha breathes. "I am sorry."

D smiles, "Thanks for giving me a chance."

"So, is it true you took on fourteen stormtroopers at once?" Marsha asks.

"Only seven. Zara took out the other seven." D nods towards Zara with a smile.

* * *

**Writer's Corner:**** LothCat. Yes, there is a fanfic author named LothCat. And she is really good at EzraSick! Fics. Rainfall is probably on of the best sick fics I've seen in a while. If you haven't read it yet, you are missing out. It updated like yesterday. So it should still be on the front page. Go check it out.**

**Thank You Time! Thank you kyrksmedley for favoriting and following. Thank you EmilyBridger for reviewing, twice! Thank you Midnight Luna, Guest, Jelsa777, and Paint the Fangirling UniWolf for reviewing.**

**Thank you for the suggestion, EmilyBridger.**

**Midnight, hope you like D more after this chapter. Yes, D must be a Jedi but first she must find the confidence in herself.**

**Thank you Jelsa777, your compliments really make me happy.**

**Hey Paint! Of course, Ezra is becoming wise. He has his moments in the show already, and in Ner Vod he is even further in his training. And while he is lacking in the book training of initiates a good four, five years younger than him in the old order, he has far more field experience then most of them before the Clone Wars. And when you compare him to the known Force sensitive children of his time, he is by far the closest to becoming a Jedi. **

**Luke literally has no training or knowledge and very little reason for his powers to materialize. Leia is in a similar situation. **

**Mzia, Yue, Zhu, and Aeries, while they has naturally developed their powers a bit more, due to needing them to survive, only have the most basic of grasp of it, with all their knowledge coming from experimenting. **

**While D does have basic lightsaber and Force skills from her time as being trained as an Inquisitor, she has only just started her path to become a Jedi. Talia has been training only about three or four months. Ezra is well into his second year of training and is approaching the start of his third. In fact, I'd say the only one closer to becoming a Jedi than Ezra is Sonya.**

**Think about it. There are a lot of things especially in the use of lightsabers that are similar between the two sides. And while she has been taught the ways of the dark side, she has also studied the light side to know whom she is hunting. For Sonya to not absorb at least some of that knowledge and incorporate it into her way of thinking, especially given her childhood, seems unlikely. Heck, she's even passed a few of the trials. The Trial of Flesh is to with stand a large amount of pain, physical, emotional, and mental. She was tortured regularly, eventually had to watch her father die in front of her and even lost her master, who was one of the only people she ever received any kindness from. The Trial of Insight is about coming to a higher understanding. Sonya never once believes she is on the right side. Think about that for a second. No one likes being in the wrong and will often lie to him or herself to prove they are in the right. Sonya doesn't do this. And if that doesn't convince you, she has made quite the insightful understanding that I won't spoil here as it plays a role in about ten chapters. While she hasn't passed the Trial of Skill, yet, she is getting there. One could even make an argument for the Trial of Courage, but again, that will be addressed later so I won't spoil it.**

**Wow, I rambled… Anyway, that song fic is coming. Along with another new fic about Ezra having a sister.**

**Question Time: Now that two of the five have been posted, why do you think I think of the "Of" series of chapters as special?**

**Hint: The two chapters were chapter 1 and chapter 28, the ones that start with "Of".**


	34. Chapter 32: Sonya Steps Up

**RUHLSAR000 Here! I know some of you are just going to skip this, but for those of you who don't, I feel obliged to tell you what is going on. Bad news, I have a final next Saturday. So, know update next week. Worse news, my archive is almost depleted. I have an archive of chapters that just need to be edited each week. It is how I have been able to keep updating regularly. Now at the beginning of my school's quarter I like having at least ten chapters in said archive, so I don't have to worry about writing during the end of the quarter. So as it is, I have to write ten chapters. If I were to update during my break, I would need to write thirteen to fourteen chapters in under three weeks. That is insane. Especially since I am having a mild case of writer's block with these next few chapters. However, I will not be leaving you high and dry with nothing during that time. I came up with a five-chapter short rebels story that I will be publishing weekly during my break. I do not think of this as a hiatus as I will be working on this fiction AND I will be back in the new year. Just consider it a winter break, like the show. Thank you for being understanding. I just need this time to make this story be the best it can be. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! ALL HAIL THE MOUSE!**** I apologize for errors, delays, long-winded author's notes, and having to stock the archive.**

* * *

Sonya looks at her master. Her ill temper glaring and all around awful Master. Her ill temper glaring and all around awful Master whom she just asked for a favor. Honestly, she would rather kiss a wookie. But with this, her request needs to go through her master before going to the superiors, namely Vader. And given she is still on the high from her making up with Chance earlier that day, she feels up for arguing the case with the witch.

"So you admit you incompetence?" Barriss smirks.

"No, Ma'am." Sonya says, looking down. "Only that they are far better than anticipate. As they have proven time and time again against numerous inquisitors." Sonya resists the smirk. Her master was no better. "As such, a change of tactics would be wise. After all, only the truly insane repeat an action and expect different results. The Jedi are backed up by a team of the best in their fields, and they work well as a team. We have already proven that they are far less a threat when we address their team."

"I suppose." Her master glowers down. "I doubt Lord Vader will share your sentiments."

"Be that as it may, something needs to change, Ma'am." Sonya says.

"Leave." Barriss says. Sonya obliges.

* * *

Three weeks. Sonya can't help but smirk. That is how long it took for her request to go through the bureaucratic nightmare. How and why, she doesn't care. It was approved and in record time she might add. Apparently, someone thought her idea had merit and approved her little "experiment" with the stipulation she test it with her crew. Sonya, honestly, wouldn't have it any other way. For her experiment to be successful, knowledge and bonds often ignored by a commander must be utilized.

So, here she is examining the files of each and every stormtrooper on the ship in a small conference room during her limited free time. She moves the current stormtrooper to the rejected bin. She looks at the next file. Her jaw drops. Ralf, Duff. She checks the home world, Lothal. She couldn't believe it. Him! He's here! Yeah, she's not surprised to the jerkwad joined the Empire, but... How did he get assigned to her ship! No, there is no way he can participate. She looks at his stats and groans. Multiple excellent marks in the academy, having just been transferred from the academy, and even a few recommendations. She couldn't reject without it looking suspicious. Besides there isn't any way he'd pass the next portion. She can reject him at the first possible moment. She moves him into the short list of about twenty and moves to the next one.

Rong, Mich. Hm... Nothing stands out about him, though nothing is bad. In fact, his scores are all around good. And his score, unlike most don't degrade much in the field. A jack of all trades good in most environments. Though, he is afraid of her. Like any one isn't. She moves him to the maybe list.

She pauses at the next file. Do not let your personal feelings get in the way. Be objective, she orders herself. Sorayu, Chance. He had just had his first review.

Hm! She raises an eyebrow. A 98% accuracy with blaster at the academy isn't anything to sniff at. She glances to his review. A 90% accuracy. Only a drop of eight percent. Most drop at least twice as much and aren't as good to begin with. Other marks aren't bad, though one or two were barely more than average. He seemed to be natural inclined to physical activities while not sacrificing intelligence, though. Not to mention she knew he could get along with her._ Keep it objective,_ she repeats her order. She sees a note attached to the bottom. She clicks it open. His squad's commanding officer has written "Can't dodge worth a damn". She snorts. No duh.

"What are you laughing at?" Speak and he will appear.

Sonya smiles, moving the File into the short list. "Some idiot's ability to dodge is so bad that his commanding officer swore in his review."

"Sucks to be him." Chance sits down next to her. Sonya lets out a laugh. "Should I be worried that you are going through peoples files?"

"We will see." Sonya smirks, looking at the next file. "What is Stormtrooper Taka like?"

"Maria?" Chance asks. "She's pretty nice. A little bit of a whiner. Loves gossip like everyone else in the lunch room." Sonya slides her into the maybe pile.

* * *

As Rong and Chance enter the dining hall, everyone is rushed around the bulletin screen. "What's the gossip saying about that?" Chance asks, in awe.

"Haven't heard a thing." Rong says, in equal surprise. They see Taka jumping over people, trying to see. They approach her.

"Maria!" Rong calls. She turns. "What's going on?"

"The inquisitors have put a list out. All trooper on the list are require to report to Inquisitor Yon in Hanger Bay 3 with an overnight pack at ten hundred." Taka says, panicking.

"What?!" Rong says worried. That can't be good.

"Please tell me this is an elaborate hazing prank! I haven't even been here a week! I haven't had enough time to do anything!" One stormtrooper shouts.

"Sorry, Ralf. But Mich Rong's on the list and he's been here three years." Another says.

"What?!" Rong pushes through; Taka and Chance follow using him as a bulldozer. He glances down the list and groans at the seven black letters. Taka glances down, and lets out the breath she's been holding.

Chance sees his name and has no clue how to feel, knowing this could be very bad. Taka knows how she feels, "Hasn't that witch done enough."

"Maria!" Chance says, in surprise.

"Hasn't she?" Taka looks at him.

* * *

The two shuttles land in a clearing. Chance walks out of the shuttle. They are on a jungle planet. He can already hear some people groan about the heat. He glances over to the other shuttle and sees a stoic Sonya step out. He notes a strange collar like device on her neck. Everyone quickly forms rows, six by six. Chance wedges himself between Rong and Torence.

Sonya steps into the front, looking directly at them. "You each have been selected for your excellent marks for this assignment." Sonya resists the urge to roll her eyes as relief fills them. "Over the next few weeks, you will be tested for your ability to meet your limits and break though them. Before me, there are thirty-six of you. By the end, only seven of you will remain. It is in your best interests to be among those seven." She resists the sigh as her troops become uneasy, again. "Each day, those who do not meet my expectations will be sent back. We will remain until only seven remain. We begin now."

Chance gruffs as he ducks behind a rock, avoiding blaster fire. He, Rong and Torence are pinned there. No one can quiet get an understanding of what these tests are for and boy were they hard. A third went home on the first day. By the end of the first week, only fifteen storm troopers are left. Some days no one goes back, other days most went back. Some days testing was individual, others it was in small teams like today's demented version of capture the flag. Thank goodness, most of the traps have been sprung... He thinks. Though, there are still the wildlife to possibly deal with.

Chance looks at Rong and Torence, an idea forming. They both raise an eyebrow. He hand signals them. They both sigh. "Don't get eaten." Chance warns before jumping into the fray. He runs like heck avoiding blaster fire. Torence sneaks away. After a moment Rong begins to fire at the opposing group.

Chance ducks behind a tree, as the two other teams fighters approach him. He smirks as they see each other and begin firing at each other. He glances up to the cliff Sonya stands on, watching them. She looks like she is nursing a migraine.

* * *

"I get it." Sonya huffs at him in a whisper as they gather firewood. "You're good at turning yourself into bait. You don't need to prove that anymore." She picks up a branch, looking at it.

"That won't work for fire wood." Chance says.

"How can you tell?" Sonya asks dropping it. She tugs at the strange collar that seems to be locked around her neck. When he had gotten a chance to ask her about it on day three she had merely shrugged and said _"Like all good owners, they collars their dogs to make sure don't run away"_. Chance is still trying to figure that out.

"It's too wet. Fire doesn't like wet." Chance shrugs. Sonya raises an eyebrow. Chance chuckles "My grandpa would take me camping every year growing up. Some times more. Heck a few days he would just pack up and take me out of school and we'd go for a weekend." Chance sighs, thinking about his family.

"You okay?" Sonya tilts her head.

"Yeah, it's just... Thinking about my family..." Chance looks down at the wood. He used to be so mad whenever his family got brought up. Now, he doesn't have the energy to do more than sigh and bask in the pain. Chance looks down, not willing to let Sonya see him upset. She already has enough on her plate.

Sonya gently put her hand under his chin and tilts it up so he is looking at her, "If you don't want to talk about it because it hurts, I understand. I won't push. But if you are trying not to burden me, don't. You're my friend. I want to be there for you."

Chane sighs, knowing she won't let this go, "Mom got sick, really sick. Then, she got a little better and we thought we were out of the woods... Mom was even talking about moving back into a new place, just the two of us. Then, Grandma went to wake her one morning and she couldn't wake up. Grandpa pulled me out of school and we went camping until the funeral... Then a few years later, Grandpa wouldn't wake up... We were suppose to go camping."

Sonya puts a hand on his shoulder. "It's not fair. Having that hope, only for it to be smashed..." She whispers bitterly. "You have my sympathy. Not pity. Sympathy."

Chance is afraid to ask, "You?"

Sonya looks down picking up a stick, "This good?" Chance nods. "You know my father is dead. You know that inquisitor training is awful. It was worse than you can imagine." Chance sucks in a breath. "They try and break you to build you as what they want. If you refuse to fall to the dark side..."

"Dark side?" Chance asks.

"What inquisitors and Sith and dark Jedi use." Sonya says.

"Ominous isn't it?" Chance says, only recognizing the word inquisitor and Jedi. And he assumed dark Jedi weren't the Jedi he has heard about "Why would the Empire use that? It exist to keep peace."

Sonya chuckles. It was a strange sound somewhere between dark and a parent's chuckle at the naivety of their child. "Because it is the religion of the Emperor."

"Do you believe in it?" Chance asks.

Sonya picks up a stick, then looks at Chance. He shakes his head. She drops it. "Honestly... Only a little. There is a lot I disagree with. There is a lot I disagree with in the Jedi religion. I suppose I am hopelessly in between when it comes to my beliefs. But I must follow the dark side. I have since they broke me."

"How did... Never mind." CHance backs off.

"They destroyed hope." Sonya says. "My parents tried to rescue me. Mom ran a distraction. Dad broke me out. We almost made it out. Offee saw through it and cut us off. She captured us. I still remember him begging me to look away... as Offee severed his head. I was splattered in his blood. I couldn't look away... I know I should have fought harder, but... I couldn't. Not if it meant people around me getting hurt. So, I just gave up fighting."

Chance looks at her, drops his logs and hugs her tight. And for once, he can't help but wonder if he is on the right side... If there is even a hope of the Empire changing for the better with each new generation…

Sonya breaks the hug, "We'd better get back..." Chance nods, walking behind her.

They returned to the camp. Two stormtroopers had been sent home, meaning only ten remained. Chance smiles as he sees Rong and Torence trying to start a fire with sticks, just sticks. "Really?" He asks, as he drop his pile of fire wood. "Move." He scoots them out of the way. He grabs a few handfuls of brown pine needs from the ground. He puts a few tiny stick in it. He takes a match and lights the pine needles. Soon, the sticks catch fire. "Now gradually add the larger sticks."

Dinner was soon out and everyone was chatting happily. Well except Sonya, who was sitting away, typing away on something, as always. Chance is amazed at how close he has come to be with the remaining troopers. He was even a little sad about the two that left. The ultra competitive people were sent home quickly. Granted, their are still one or two still out for themselves but everyone pretty nice.

"So, Chance, what do you think of that Taka?" Grace Long, a woman about five years older than him with short black hair, asks.

"She's a good friend." Chance says. Rong and Torence look at him, jaws drop. "What?" They both face palm.

"On that note, who was y'all's first crush?" The one other girl, a brunette by the name of Natalie Fisher, asks.

"How does that connect?" Chance's asks. There is around of snorts. Chance glances behind them. Sonya buried her head in the datapad. Even she snorted.

"Just don't. You'll hurt your head." Torence jokes.

"What?" Chance asks.

"Alright, alright. I think you've given me a hard enough time." Duff Ralf smiles. Duff was a pretty nice guy. Had his douche moments, but it was clear he is trying to get along with people. "I guess I'll go first. I was young. Five."

"Really? I thought girl's at that age had cooties." Natalie smirks.

"They did. She didn't. She was hard not to like. Pretty blonde hair, eyes so green I can still picture them nine years later. And she was nice. I remember she climbed a tree to return a a baby bird to its nest." Duff smiles. "The only problem was her second head."

"She had two heads?" Torence raises a head.

"Might as well have. No, she had a brother who she was never without. Even when one was being punished, the other was never more than fifty feet away. And I hated him. We fought so much." Duff sighs. "Then again, I probably deserved it. I was a bit of a bully and a teacher's pet."

"You ever confess?" Grace asks.

"Na... I was a stupid little boy who picked on her cause I liked her. I didn't realize I liked her for a long time. Then, when I did, her parents got arrested. c I never saw her after that. We were seven. Her birthday was last month. I remember it only cause birthday was a week before her brother's which is share with our Great Empire." Duff sighs.

"Why'd her parents get arrested?" Everyone jumps as Joe Sven speaks. His nickname is Silent Sven so it isn't surprising they jump, but when he does speak it is with a voice that should be coming from a fifty year old, not a twenty-nine year old.

"Her name was Sunny Bridger of Lothal, if that answers your question." Duff says.

Everyone shakes his or her heads, no. "Yes." Everyone's head shoots to Sonya.

"You are referring to the Bridger transmissions." Sonya says. Duff nods. "Two civilians, Ephraim and Mira Bridger, Sunny's parents, spoke out against the Empire through secret transmissions on the planet Lothal. They had two children, a son and a daughter. I remember lying awake late at night, listening to them speaking out for equality, hope and justice. They were called 'the Voices of Freedom'. Just as their son is called the 'New Voice of Freedom', continuing the family tradition." Chance notices a slight smile on her face. The sad one she gets when thinking of her family. Sunny... It couldn't be... "They were arrested on their son's birthday, Empire Day."

"That's him... You know, what? I am not surprised." Duff smirks then pauses. "Remember?" Duff asks. "Your homeworld is Lothal?"

Sonya looks down. "Yes... Lothal is my home..." She looks up at him.

"What about you, Ma'am?" Rong asks, feeling particularly bold.

Sonya raises an eyebrow. Chance scoots over and smiles at her. Sonya sets the datapad and walks over, sitting down next to Chance. "No... I wasn't interested in crushes as a child. And I was placed in the inquisitor training program when I was seven. And inquisitors are... not encouraged... to have connection with loved ones." Sonya shrugs, clearly feeling awkward. "Any connection really." Her eyes widen, "I don't want this spread around the ship!" Everyone stares at her. "Um... Ah..." Sonya mumbles, ready for attention to be off her. "Ch- Sorayu, what about you?"

Chance shrugs, "My first crush... Hm... Her name was Donna Trace. We met first day at the academy. Went on a few dates. Nothing came out of it. Think she's stationed on Naboo."

Laughs and joking and teasing continue until Sonya declares it is time for bed. Sonya had mainly been quiet through out the conversations but it was strange for everyone that she was just there.

* * *

The ten stand at attention. "Today is the last test." Sonya says. "I must congratulate you all for making it this far. You are truly the ten best troopers on the ship. However, three of you will be eliminated from this experiment. Your test is simple. Get to the checkpoint ten clicks away. There are five maps scattered in within three clicks of camp. Remember all that you have learned. I know I will remember all that I have. Good luck. We begin, now." Sonya finishes. Everyone takes off running.

* * *

_Where could that map be? _Chance searches around. _Think!_ He orders himself. _You know Sunny better than almost anyone alive. Wait! _ _Learned? What did I learn? Offee is vicious. Maybe... Wait, Sunny learned about dry wood..._ But that was only between the two of them. It's a place to start. He looks around for a dry piece of wood... Sunny couldn't tell them apart. _Learn... Learn... Think!_ Chance sees Duff crawling through the bush. Hard to believe-

Chance starts. There is a deserted hawk nest it the trees around camp. Chance rushes back there. When he gets to the base of the tree, he groans, "I really hate this armor." He climbs up to the nest, fighting his armor all the way

He peers into the nest. "All right!" He grabs the data pad map and attaches it to his waist. He carefully begins to climb down

"PARKS!" He hears Torence shout. Chance drops down right in front of him and Rong.

"What is it?" Chance asks.

"Damn Parks! We found a map under a pile of dried pine needles. He stunned us and snatched the maps. He already had one!" Torence growls.

Chance looks at his two friends. "Alright, how about we work as a team to get to the check point faster than him?"

"We still need a map." Rong says.

Chance unclips his. "Done."

"Let's go then," Torence smirks. "And wipe that smile off his face."

They begin walking. After fifteen minutes they hear a roar. "Oh, great whatever those giant feline like things are out." Rong groans. "Why couldn't it be those pack k-9s? Healthy ones never attack people." A sound of blaster fire follows.

"Come on!" Chance yells, running toward the sound.

"We are going towards the creature?" Rong says, running after. "Yeah, I know someone could be hurt." The three burst through the tree line to see Darien Troy pinned under the pause of a giant feline. They all fire at the cat. It flinches, running off. They rush towards their friend.

"We need to move." Chance says, holding out his hand. Troy takes it, getting up onto his left leg, but holding his right leg up so no weight was on it. "It could be back. Can you walk?"

"I don't think so." Troy groans "It got me in the leg pretty badly." Chance looks at it to see the armor has been pierced and mangled. "I guess this competition's done for me... I'll activate the flare for a medical pick up. You'd better get going."

"I don't think you'll need to activate the flare." Torence says, point up. They all look up to see a shuttle landing. One of the two shuttle pilots steps out.

He looks at the troopers, until his eyes land on Troy. "Troy, are you able to continue?"

"No, Sir... I am sorry... Sir." Darien sighs.

"I will return you to camp, until the test is over." The pilot says.

"Yes sir..." Darien sighs. He is loaded on to the shuttle.

The three troopers push forward. They reach a fork in their paths all two soon though. The checkpoint was ten clicks from the camp, but as the bird flies. There was a mountain in between them. And no way to crawl up it in one day even if they had the equipment. They had two paths. One is twenty-five clicks through the jungle. And without a compass or direct view to the planets Star, they could easily get lost. Chance is still groaning from having to explain to use the star as a compass.

The other path is only fifteen clicks to the checkpoint but it is through a steep narrow pass. "Hey look!" Torence shouts.

They look at were Torence is pointing. Another shuttle pick up. On the forest path.

"Both the shuttles have been in forested areas..." Rong notes.

"I guess that decides it." Chance sigh. They take the steep narrow path, hoping not to fall into the ravine below.

* * *

"MICH! I thought you said these guys don't attack people!" Chance blasts one of this planet's k-9 things.

"WHEN HEALTHY!" Rong shouts, blasting another.

"SO THAT'S NOT WHIP CREAM ON THEIR MOUTHES?" Torence shouts, shooting and missing. Chance shoots that one down.

"Come on! We are almost there!" Chance yells. "Go! I'll take up the rear!" They don't need to be told twice. They run. Chance runs as fast as he can while blasting these things. He's downed most of them.

He pulls the trigger. Nothing happens. Chance tries again. Nothing. "KRIFF! Out a charge." He slams the dead blaster into a k-9 thing getting too close to him and runs. He burst through the forest in a clearing. A k-9 thing knocks him to the ground. Chance doesn't even have time to think _I am going to die_. Though, he knows it.

The k-9 lets out a whimper then falls over. Chance looks at it. He registers a humming sound, barely there, and the sound of gasps. Chance looks up at Sonya, her face unreadable, lightsaber on. It is then he realizes he is gasping for air. What was Sonya doing out here... He looks around. He sees the other troopers sitting by a shuttle, with exception of Troy and Wilson. He registers two things. He is at the checkpoint. He came in eighth place. His head falls back. He lightly hits the ground with his fist.

* * *

"I am sorry Troopers Parks, Troy and Wilson. You will be returning to the ship. Immediately." Sonya looks at it them. Gasp resonates through the troops.

"But I came in third, Ma'am." Parks protests.

"So you did. However, the test was to get to the checkpoint. Not to get there first. Just to get there. This was a test of character and teamwork as much as strength and speed. You resulted to trickery to come to your place. Moreover, there have been those who have done team work far better than you." Sonya explains more than she normally does, for everyone else's benefit more than Parks. "You'd do well to remember your place. Pack your things and take the shuttle back to the ship. We will follow close behind."

The three salute and do as you they are order. The seven remaining stormtrooper remain at attention. As soon as they are gone, Sonya turns back to them. "I'm sure you are all wondering what this little experiment is. First let me say had you not succeeded things would have remained exactly the same as before. However, as of today, all of you, Grace Long, Joe Sven, Natalie Fisher, Michi Rong, Torence, Duff Ralf, and Chance Sorayu." She looks at each of them, a slight smile on her lips that only Chance notices. "Have been select to be a part of a new team, directly under myself. I promise you that the training will be hard. You will be pushed to your limits and expected to break them. You will face weapons you are unfamiliar with. I will personally see to you training and discipline. You will act as a unit and live as a unit. Do you understand?"

"Ma'am yes Ma'am." They say.

* * *

**Writer's Corner:**** OceanicShadows. She is brand new to the community having joined Monday. Her one story is of excellent quality. So go and welcome them to the community.**

**Thank You Time! Thank you rebel-blueberry for favoriting. Thank you XWingExecuter and Sprattfish33 (what's a spratt fish? And why are there 33 of them?) for following. Thank you Jelsa777, Paint the Fangirling UniWolf and Midnight Luna for reviewing.**

**Again Jelsa777, your comments make me blush. Thank you for the support.**

**Paint, and now you get Sonya and Chance bonding time. As well as Sonya preparing her team. I actually struggled with whether to put the team in or not. They are going to make a certain thing harder later on. In the end though, I think that is why I had to put it in and quite frankly it does fit Sonya. Plus, the Empire needs to stop underestimating these rebels and they need a taskforce specifically to aid inquisitors. Sorry for rambling.**

**Midnight, no worries. Sage is the leader of the Phoenix Cell. Under him, are Willy, or Phoenix 2, and the three other section leaders. I am glad you are starting to ship Ezra and D. I must be doing something right. As for Ezra being yours, you may not enjoy two chapters from now when Ezra has his first date. And the fact that chapter isn't written yet depresses me.**

**Clearly I need to be clearer with my questions… Anyone who can figure out what the two "Of" chapters have in common gets Internet cookies.**

**Question Time: Do you think Ezra's parents are a Jedi and a clonetrooper?**

**Be sure to check out my new story. It premieres on the 18****th****. You can read in line for the Force Awakens.**


	35. Chapter 33: Training

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Sorry. Last quarter was difficult. I feel kind of bad opening a can of filler fluff on you guys after you all patiently waited, however I was having writer's block while writing this, so you'll have to deal. Besides after this week's finale I think we could all use so filler fluff. It was so awesome, though I do think Ezra was a bit OoC. I just can't see him going to the Dark Side or trusting someone with glowing red eye he found in a Sith temple. I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! THEY ARE OWNED BY THE MOUSE! I apologize for errors, delays, and long- winded author's notes.**

**Just a reminder. I got a lot of review, confused on whether Sonya and Ezra are blood relations. No, they are not. Sonya was adopted by the Bridger and is their child, even if they aren't blood relations. My cousin is adopted and I see him as just as much my cousin as my other cousins. The reason that they are often refer to themselves as "twins" is because of the proximity of their births, being only a week apart. It was close enough that it was easy to view them as twins. And the fact that they seemed to have "twin telepathy" as children only strengthen the case.**

* * *

"How are you picking this up so fast?!" Ezra blocks D's slash towards his shoulder.

"I'm not." D pulls back and slashes again. "Istuck around the inquisitors training facility only long enough to learn the basics of lightsaber combat. They are used by both side." D blocks Ezra one handed stab, using the energy to spring back.

Ezra uses his other hand to send a barrage of pinecones at her. "Well, that sounds like a debate in philosophy in the making."

D blocks the ones that would hit her, "You think?" She smirks, spring boarding off a tree trunk behind him.

Zara raises an eyebrow and look to her friend, "Are they flirting while sparring?"

"You act as if they stop." Kanan cocks his head to the side.

Ezra spins around D, facing her back. He leans down and whispers into her ear, playfully. "You'll have to do better than that!" D spins fast, trying to strike him. Ezra ducks before slipping to a more comfortable distance to strike.

"They are legitimately flirting! What would the masters think?" Zara laughs, shaking her head.

"Probably that we've lost our minds for allowing attachment." Kanan shakes his head, with a smile.

"Meh. Nothing great came from being sane anyway." Zara smiles, then checks her watch. "Alright, Padawans, we need to wrap it up."

Both Ezra and D pause, looking over to her. "But we've just started." D says, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"No, you two have been sparring for twenty minute. Impressive by the way. Bring our total training time to two hours. And, unlike Ezra and Kanan, we have people who we can't explain our absence to."

"Right, right." D sighs. "And Marsha wanted to show me how to tie-dye."

"Marsha?" Ezra raises an eyebrow at the familiar name.

"She's a member of my cell. I'm sure I mentioned her." D says, slightly confused.

"Yeah, as someone who doesn't trust you." Ezra says, surprised either of them would hang out with the other.

"Well, she's come around." D says. "Her and her friends from Alpha and Omega."

"That's good I suppose." Ezra says, unused to someone change their minds When it comes to prejudices. But it was good for D, so he' be happy for her.

"I should introduce you guys. They are some of the few kids our age on base." D says.

"I don't know..." Ezra absentmindedly tugs at his glove. A developing habit, D notices. She also notices how well that black t-shirt is fitting his well-toned frame, even if an old blaster scar pokes out from the sleeve. Or one or two decorate his arms. In their line of work, it's to be expected.

"Come on, Ezra. When was the last time you hung out with other kids your own age, besides me or Sabine?" D asks. After a pauses, she adds, "Without worrying." She shooting a look at Kanan and Zara as if saying back me up here.

"Without worrying.. Me and Sonya's seventh birthday party. It was the weekend between our birthdays" Ezra cringes in concentration, trying to remember.

"After you and Kanan finish up, I am introducing you guys." D says in a deadpan.

"No, I doubt they are interested in getting to know a street rat." Ezra shrugs. D glances at Kanan, who looks torn between dropping his jaw and rubbing his head because of an on coming migraine.

"Maybe not, but 'The New Voice of Freedom', I am sure they'd want to meet him." D smirks, referring to Ezra's broadcasts. "Come on, worst case, you guess don't get along and never see each other again. Best, you make friends. Heck, Alexi could have easily had ask them to talk to you as he did me."

"I'll think about it." Ezra relents only because he isn't going to win.

"And I'll drag you to meet them." D smiles, and the smacks his shoulder in a playful way. "See ya when your done." D walks back towards the base from the clearing that they chose to practice in.

* * *

"Alright." Sonya calls her team to a stop in. "You've all gotten pretty good at hitting one another with stun blasts. And Chance, you've gotten better at dodging." Truth be told, they all had improved a dodging. A great development for her project

Chance huffs in annoyance. Sonya fights the urge to roll her eyes. She tries to muffle her fondness and her amusement from the Force and her face. But Chance see it. She can tell by the look in his eyes. "However, our targets probably will not be using a blaster if and when we corner them. They will be using this." Sonya takes out one of her lightsabers. "The design varies from individual to individual for this most personal of weapons. The lightsaber." She ignites the glowing red blade. "However, the main features remain the same. It is the weapon of choice for Sith, Dark Jedi, Inquisitors, and Jedi alike. Not as clunky or as random as a blaster. A weapon that has survived millennia. It can cut through all but a hand full of materials. The blade comes in every color you can imagine and several you can only know on the cusp of sleep. Red is the traditional color of the ones who side with the Empire, the Sith, the Dark Jedi, and of course the inquisitors." She gestures to herself before continuing. "Jedi come in three main colors, blue, green, and yellow. Purple is also known to occur regularly. Other colors, including red, do occur, however are exceedingly rare."

She looks over her seven troopers, arranged in a line. They are strong, she notes. Some of the strongest stormtroopers she's ever seen. But that won't be enough. Not against a Jedi. Not against Jarrus and her brother. "You may be wondering why I am telling you this. As it happens, you can gleam a lot about your opponent from the color of the blade and the design of the hilt."

Sonya pause to let that sink in before continuing her exposition monologue. "The power source of a lightsaber and what makes it different then a simple plasma blade is the kyber crystal. A small crystal that resonates with the Force. There are two ways for a Force-sensitive to come about a kyber crystal, create it or find it. Creating it instills one own Force signature into the crystal. Finding it, one must let the Force guide then to the one that resinates with their being. As you can imagine, the bond between a lightsaber and it's creator is strong. So strong, that the masters of the Jedi Order, who dislike any form of attachment to people or possessions, would say do not lose you lightsaber, it is your life." Sonya fights off a bored sigh. She's known this since she was two for crying out loud. However, she remains calm and controlled. None of them know any of this. She can feel it going over Duff and Torence's heads.

"Blue is the color of the guardian, expect great skill in lightsaber contact. They strove to protect the innocence and injustice in the time of the Jedi." Like her brother and his master. "Green is the color of the consular, expect great feets of the Force to be used in combination with there saber technique. The sought inner peace to spread external peace." Like Yoda and... Miranda Akatsukin. "Purple is the color of one who walks closer to the dark side then most, expect a strong powerful and aggressive attacks as well as a sharp cunning." Like Mace Windu. "Yellow is the color of the sentinel. The spies and police of the Jedi Order." Like... Her Master before his fall. She recalls everything he eventually told her of his time in the order. "Most of the surviving Jedi are probably sentinels. However, don't expect to see the blade. They are just as likely to use any weapon at hand. Remember, they protected the light from the shadows. It is the shadows that they are safest."

Sonya shifts into a defensive stance. "Now, attack."

"What, Ma'am?" Torence asks, confused as to what they were suppose to attack.

"Me." Sonya says, as if obvious. Chance gulps, having an idea of how this is going to end. The troopers look at each other, then fire. Chance's guess isn't to far off.

* * *

"Okay, now, we just leave them to set for the next five hours. " Marsha smiles.

"And wash our hands before we stain anything." D smiles.

Marsha laughs, "Right."

"I've lost multiple shirts that way. May they rest in peace." Ari says as he and Yuuma both roll their eyes. How had they been dragged out here again?

D senses a longing off Martha. Worried, she ask, with the hope it sounds causal enough, "Hey, is everything alright?"

"Oh, yeah..." Marsha reassures, though not at all convincing. D shoots her a look that is the universal look for Talk. Marsha sighs, knowing that when D gets her mind set on something she will not drop it. "It's just nice. I forgot what it was like to hang out with other girls. The last female friend I had, Sunny, vanished with her family when we were seven."

"I'm sorry." D says looking down. "I can't imagine what it is like to have someone taken away..."Was her family still in pain over her disappearance?

Something in D prompts Ari to expand on the topic. "I actually saw them getting carted off by the imps." Ari says, cleaning his glasses with his shirt. D notes it is as nervous habit. He is probably just making his glasses dirtier. "I had forgotten something, I don't even know what, at her and her brother's birthday party and was going to pick it up. Their home was surround by troopers. I had never seen so many... We never saw them after that. Part of the reason we joined the Rebellion."

Yuuma, who could could rival Willy in size, shakes his head thinking of them. They were so kind... "We were outcasts. But the two of them were like the sun. Everyone liked them and they always stood up for kids who need help. And no one stood up for them."

D freezes as a thought comes to her. The takens. "Wait. Are you saying the Empire took them with there parents?!" Only Beta and Sage had been involved in the second part of that mission, so it wasn't surprising they didn't know about takens. But if kids of traitors were being taken directly into slavery then that Pin would need to be the next to go. "What planet?"

"Lothal." Marsha says, getting confused by her friend's reaction.

"But the Empire- Lothal- Takens-" D's lips can't keep up with her mind. Sunny. Ah, kriff. D goes pale. It couldn't be. Her brother.

"Uh, should we call Sage or Willy. She is looking a green." Yuuma asks, worried. She'd been cleared by the medical droid but what if he missed something.

Ari pulls out his com, "Hey Sage..."

"Yes, I'm a little busy right now..." Sage's voice sparks through the com.

Ari looks at D, "I think, D is-"

"Ezra and Sonya Bridger?!" D shouts in a way that implies an immanent mental break down, causing everyone to jump first at the surprise of a coherent thought then at what she said.

"Yeah, those were their names. But they went by Ebby and Sunny." Ari says, surprised that she actually knew their names. Their parents' names wouldn't surprise him, but the kids... The Empire never mentioned them in any of the reports on the reports on the Bridgers.

D gives a smile, that sends a shiver down their spines. "One moment." She says with a creepy smile, holding up one finger. D sprints back into the base.

"Ari? Ari? What is going on with D?" Sage asks worriedly.

"I think she is having a mental breakdown. I'll keep you posted." Ari says. Marsha whacks him in the shoulder "Hey! Don't stain my shirt, again!"

"Sage, I doubt that. But I'll keep an eye out." Marsha reassures.

* * *

Rong is on the ground, flat on his back. Torence is seeing stars. Long is twitching in a corner. Sven is nursing his sore wrist. Duff is hiding behind him. Fisher is wondering what she has gotten herself into as she counts the stars rushing past her vision. And Chance... Do I even need to say it? Sonya is still trying to revive him from the stun he took to his head. "Well, that went... well, actually." Sonya shrugs.

Everyone stares at her. "I didn't know Inquisitor Yon was sarcastic. Or am I just imagining thins." Long says.

"If your hallucinating, I am too." Rong looks up at Sonya.

Sonya rolls her eye. "Oh, I am very sarcastic. I got my father's ability to snark. I just never say it aloud. And that includes today. I am serious when I say that went well." All who are able to look up at her give her a look in what can only be described as disbelief. "You are not trained to combat someone trained with a lightsaber. For not knowing what you were doing, you... you did make a lot of mistake, but you were able to last two and a half minutes. I was thinking you'd last a minute and a half. Two tops." Everyone groans and someone who sound suspiciously like Torence says under his breath "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Now what did we learn?" Sonya prompts.

Torence gestures at Chance. "His ability to dodge is squat."

"We already knew that." Sonya fights the urge to rub the bridge of her nose.

"Don't shoot at someone who can wield a lightsaber." Rong sighs, not even sarcastic. He has enough self preservation to realizes that should some bring a lightsaber to a blaster fight, he is is running the other way.

"Thank you, Rong." Sonya says, glad for only one round of sarcasm to fight this round. "The droids in the Clone Wars that did survived did not fire at the Jedi. They fired at the clones. Your main job will be to take out the rebels aiding the Jedi. However, should it come down to it, you will help me capture the Jedi."

"How?" Fisher asks.

"Well, first you need to be good enough at dodging to not get stunned by your own blasts." Sonya says, standing. "We run this drill, again." Every one groans. Sonya looks down at Chance. "Anyone know how long stun shots last? They used kill shot for this drill when I was training to dodge and fire." Everyone looks at her in horror. "What no one knows?"

* * *

D marches out of the base dragging some poor kid with shoulder length hair so black it had blue highlights out by his elbow, staining the orange coat red and yellow. "Can you at least tell me what's going on?"

Marsha raises an eyebrow. "Yeah, D, what's going on?"

D lets he hostage go. "May I introduce Ezra Bridger of the Ghost Cell, from Lothal."

"Could you not pull my arm out of it socket next time you want to kidnap me, D." Ezra rolls out his shoulder.

"I love how he assumes I'll kidnap him again." D smirks.

"Ezra..." Marsha gasps, looking into his blue eyes. Those rare electric blue eyes. Ari and Yuuma stare to. They never expected this.

Ezra tilts his head, "I'm sorry have we met. I feel like we have, but I can't remember."

Marsha feels like an idiot. Sure, they would remember him. He changed their lives. But him, well, he must have had one heck of an adventure. "I am Marsha Campbell. We were friends when we were five. Me, Ari and Yuuma went to your seventh birthday party..."

A faint recollection cross his face. "Sorry, I don't remember much from before. Most of it is devoted to my parents. And Sunny..."

"No, no I'd imagine." Marsha reassures. It hurts but that is perfectly reasonable. "How is your second head anyway?" Marsha looks around. She can't be far away.

Ezra looks down, and sighs. "She's... not in a good place. Let's leave it at that."

Marsha gasps, gulping back tears, "I'm sorry."

"Hey, what are you crying for? Sunny never wanted anyone to cry over her." Ezra reassures, then looks at the others. "Ari? Yuuma? How have you been?"

* * *

Chance groans. He slowly sits up, a cold compress slipping of his head. He looks around, with just enough time to duck. The stun blast hits the wall. "Honky Tonks! Sorayu just dodged a blast!" Fisher shouts. Everyone freezes. Well, Sonya freezes after smacking away a blast.

"Should we prepare for haran?" Sonya says.

"What?" Everyone looks at her confused.

"Haran? Cosmic annihilation?" Sonya says, getting blank looks from everyone. "Joke. Feel free to laugh awkwardly even though you don't mean it." She deadpans.

"Or we could run, cause I am pretty sure you trying to tell a joke that doesn't center around self harm is a sign of cosmic annihilation." Chance smirks.

"Are they flirting?" Rong asks, in utter amazement.

"No, they are just giving off witty banter as if they are the only ones in the room?" Torence says, shrugging at the end.

"That's the definition of flirting." Rong says.

"TORENCE! RONG!" Sonya shouts, sending them a glare that make Hoth look hotter than Mustafar. "Five Thousand Push Up! Now!" Everyone jumps, having forgotten how terrifying Sonya can be. Well, except Chance who just sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. Rong and Torence scramble into the push up position. "And should I hear any allegation of me forming any sort of emotional attachment again, you will be doing ten thousand push ups and cleaning toilet for the next five months. With your tooth brush. Am I clear?"

"Ma'am yes, Ma'am." Torence and Rong say at the same time.

"For all of you?" Sonya looks around at the remaining five.

They stand and shout, rigidly, "Ma'am, yes Ma'am."

"We do the exercise, again." Sonya says, shifting into position.

* * *

Some how Marsha and Ezra wound up sitting alone together, when Alpha and Omega called for drills and D was called to fix the Firebirds... again. It was a little awkward at first, with Ezra barely being able to remember any of them. "So, um... I am sorry, but I really don't remember all that much." Ezra says, trying to break the silence.

"It's... alright. I was closer to Sunny, than you..." Marsha says.

Ezra raise an eyebrow, remembering the hurt coming off her and the others when he said he couldn't remember them. "I remember enough to know me and Sunny had the same friends. Second head, remember?"

Marsha lets out a soft laugh, remembering that. If someone saw one, they didn't even get the chance to think that the other is near. The other would already be in sight. "Yeah, I have no idea how she managed to keep that I had a crush on you a secret." Marsha seemed to realize what she said a moment after, turning a bright shade of red.

"Wait. What?" Ezra says, surprised. Not that Sonya would keep that from him. It wasn't her secret. More that she succeeded and some girl had a crush on him.

"Oh, me and every girl who had a crush at school, had a crush on you." Marsha waves it off as if it was nothing.

"Why? I mean I was... a stupid kid... Do you know how many demerits I got?" Ezra says.

"A hundred and forty six, if I remember correctly. In one year." Marsha says. Ezra gapes at her. "You still hold the record at Pyke Academy for Children for most demerits given."

"Should I be proud of that?" Ezra wonders.

"Probably. Look at how you got them. You may have been a stupid kid, but you were a kind, smart, cute, stupid kid who didn't think girls had cooties. Do you know how rare that is for any boy who is under the age of nine? You were like a knight in shining armor." Marsha laughs, remembering a few of her drawing of him in armor. Then cringes remembering it was Stormtrooper armor. Seriously, how blind had she been?

"Armors not really my thing." Ezra shrugs.

"No, it really isn't." Marsha agrees, then looks at the setting sun. "You know, I always wondered what I'd say to you if I ever did find you again. Now, I just can't seem to find the words."

"So, what would you say? I'm all ears." Ezra smirks, spreading his arms and chuckling.

Marsha is quiet for a moment. Admit I still have a crush on him. "Thank you, I guess. I know it wasn't the best way it could have happen. Heaven knows what you and Sunny went through. But I never would have seen the wrongs of the Empire without you. And I never would have believed a few people can change someone's life for the better. Ezra, I was so alone as a kid... I'd spend play time walking around the play ground, just wishing I knew how to go up and get someone to play with me. Everyone seemed to already have a group of friends. Then one day, you and Sunny just invited me over as if we were already friends. It was the same with Yuuma and Ari."

"I feel like I am being put on a pedestal." Ezra says, answering honestly. "I was just a kid. Nothing special about me." Even now if he is being honest, that is how he feels. It's not like he is super smart like Sabine or a natural leader like Kanan or can bring everyone together like Hera. He can't count how many times he has just starred at the ceiling while lying in bed and just wondered why he is Force-sensitive. Why would the Force choose him for whatever role it wants him to be in?

"You really don't see it?" Marsha shakes her head. Ezra looks up a her. "Ezra, you and Sunny changed everything, with every step you take, every person you meet, every breath you take. It's like you are the bridge to something."

"What?" Ezra asks.

"To a better place." Marsha smiles, shifting her hands. Her hand accidentally take Ezra's hand. She pulls back immediately. "Sorry," She mutters blushing. That time Ezra picks up he feelings in the Force. He blushes. What should he do?

"You want to hang out? Just the two of us?" Ezra asks, confused.

"Like a date?" Marsha smirks, thinking it is a joke.

"Why not?" Ezra shrugs. Marsha is really nice, and he wouldn't mind getting to know her better. Either they hit it off or she realizes that there isn't anything that special about him. Granted if it does go south, D may get caught in the middle... Ezra honestly doesn't like that idea. But Marsha seems too nice to do that to D. And Ezra knows he wouldn't do that to D.

"Sure." Marsha laughs.

"I'm not sure what date type stuff we can do." Ezra says.

"Right, late night walks probably can't happen with lock down." Marsha says. "Maybe I could borrow a holoprojector and we could watch and old movie."

"I am great at hacking those." Ezra smirks, remembering all the time he, Talia and Orin would hack old movies.

"Great. So tomorrow?" Marsha asks.

Ezra nods. "How about the day after tomorrow? My cell's got a mission. If I am not in the Medical wing, that is."

"What's the mission?" Marsha asks worriedly.

"Classified." Ezra shrugs. Marsha feels slightly sad that he doesn't trust her with the info, but shake it away. After all, why should he?

"It's a date." Marsha smiles brightly.

"I should probably go get ready for that mission. I just remember about fifteen thing I had to do when D dragged me out here." Ezra says. "See you soon." Ezra smiles back at her before rushing inside.

Marsha waits thirty seconds before unleashing a squeal. Her childhood crush just asked her out. And man did he get capital H-O-T.

* * *

"How many are you on?" Rong groans.

"Four thousand and twenty eighty. Twenty nine. Thirty." Torence collapses. "Four thousand and thirty."

Rong nods, not saying his for fear of causing them to loose count. Four thousand and ten.

"She couldn't have been serious about the five thousand thing. I mean we've been at it for hours. We've even miss dinner..." Torence groans.

"You want to risk it?" Rong asks.

"Not particularly." Torence sighs. "Why do you think she went all Hutt-nuts?"

"I don't know... Maybe... But it wasn't even flirting really..." Rong groans.

"What?" Torence asks.

The door slides open. There heads shoot up. "Sorry our arms were a little sore. We'll get right back to doing push ups." Rong says as they scree in to a push up position.

"Easy. You act like I'm going to gut you." Chance smirks.

Both of them collapse on to the ground. "Chance, you son of a bantha. You kriffing scared us." Torence groans and laughs.

"Well, I bring food. Does that make it better?" Chance lowers the trays, chuckling.

"Yes!" Both say, some how managing to sit up. Chance laughs handing them the tray. Both eagerly start eating.

"What number are you guys on?" Chance ask quickly.

"Four thousand and thirty." Torence gruff through some food.

"Four thousand and ten." Rong says. Chance records both numbers.

Torence looks up from his food. "Hey, Chance, you are close with In-"

"Finish that statement and you will be doing ten thousand more push ups." Chance cuts him off.

"Right..." Torence says. "We were just joking. Why do you think she lost it?"

Chance sighs, "It isn't really my place to say. But... You were right, Mich... And it isn't just Inquisitor Offee who is out to break the inquisitors-in-training." A frustrated look crosses Chance's face. "They are broken and molded into what ever the Empire wants. And they want loyal, deadly, weapons for fighting against Jedi. Any insinuation that they have loyalty to anything or anyone else is swiftly dealt with. They don't even like it if the person is loyal to the Empire."

"So what your saying is she can't have a romantic interest in anyone without sever reprimand." Rong stops eating, suddenly feeling ill. He knew Offee's treatment of Yon was bad, but he thought someone could be there for her. That someone limited Offee's vindictiveness.

"I'm not even sure she's allowed friends..." Chance says.

Torence stops eating, "Surely she's allowed to visited family at least..." Chance just looks down, subtly shaking his head. Torence sighs, "How did someone that young get involved in something like this? How does the Empire even allow this? Does the Emperor know?"

Chance looks down, his stomach doing knots. Oh, the Emperor knows alright. His second in command has personal control over the inquisitors. How could they be on the right side if they do this to the children?

Chance stifles a surprised look. Did he really just question the Empire? The thing that brought peace and security to the galaxy. The thing that hurt his best friend. The thing that prevents him from openly being anything more than a... a what? What is this team? And what is it's relationship to Inquisitor Yon?

Chance sighs. "You guys almost done?"

"Yeah." They said between mouthfuls. Chance sighs. When they finished the trays, Chance reminded them of their numbers and bid them good night. The door closed behind him.

"I'll take the trays." Sonya says, with a sigh. Chance turns to her. "Get some sleep. We'll be running more drills in the morning. And thank you... I never intended for them to miss dinner."

"No problem, they probably lost count and had to start over. I still think you should have done it." Chance smiles.

"You know why I can't, Chance." Sonya sighs. "Offee is getting worse... I just wish I could stop her... I need to get stronger fast. That's the only way I'll become a full fledged inquisitor and then she'll be reassigned."

"Or you'll be reassigned..." Chance says.

"There is that..." Sonya sighs. She takes the trays. "Good night, Chance..."

"Night, Sunny." Chance sighs, as he watches her walk away. His feeling had been difficult to come to terms with. But he did. As cliched as they were. Seriously, ever other novel or movie or anything related to a plot had forbidden love or had the best friend fall in love with the girl. He clenched his fist. It hurt. It hurt not being able to, at the very least, help her. She didn't deserve any of this.

**Writer's**** Corner:**** ... Oh crud, I can't think of any under appreciated author's in the community on short ****notice... Good writer... Oh! Princess101855. She wrote the greatest fem!Ezra story on the site.**

**Oh Sweet Chocolate, its Thank You Time! Wow... I never want to take a break again...**

**Thank yous for Ner Vod: Thank you Kayla103849, rebekahtpe, SilverDreamRider, Deathconsumer1448, Oaka, writersunited4ever (Love the name), AmaraRae, and Chevyhero for following. ****Thank you ****Kayla103849, razorbackmick, writersunited4ever, AmaraRae, ****pinkice2596 and Chevyhero. Thank you XWingExecutor(Extra special thanks for reviewing twice), Ichichi05, Paint the Fangirling UniWolf****, ****EmilyBrdger, Jedi Jelsa777, Skypeoplephoenix732, Midnight Luna (Wow, you're going to freak when Ezra does get a girlfriend), rebekahtpe( ****Again, extra thanks for reviewing twice. And I was referring to the Mira in the special, not Ezra's mother), Guest, and AmaraRae.**


	36. Chapter 34: The Date

**RUHLSAR000 Here! How's it going? I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! ALL HAIL THE MOUSE! I apologize for errors, delays and long-winded author's notes.**

* * *

D groans, her head collapsing into the pillow. It smelled funny. "Are we done yet?" She complains. "We've been at this for an hour. I didn't even know you could fit enough clothes to take up thirty minutes of changing into the closets."

"I haven't decided on an outfit yet." Marsha says, getting out a green and blue tie-dyed shirt. "You know Ebby far better than I do right now. What does he like? What does he find attractive?"

D sigh, pushing her head out of the pillow. "Substance. I don't think he pays attention to looks past the first ten minutes. Besides, you're watching movies. On a old couch. In an empty rundown rec room. Not exactly LBD material."

"True, but this is my first date. Ever. And I'd like to make an impression." Marsha says. "So, do you like this one." She holds up a long green skirt that looks more suited towards dancing than movies. "Or this." She holds up a pillow skirt. D groans. "Okay, just tell me what colors does he like?"

"Orange." D sighs, as she thinks of other colors. She remembers catching his gaze linger on her when she wore her favorite shirt once or twice. A burgundy one with an opening in the top with fabric woven through the neckline so it looked like three triangle. She doubts he even realized he was doing it. It did make her look great. Might have been the confidence that shirt gave her. "Burgundy..." She remembers him mentioning his sister's eye. The way he described him... "Green." She thinks of Talia, "Probably purple."

"So, what do you think of this?" Marsha holds up a green and blue tye-dyed dress and a whit knit vest.

"Great..." D says, not paying much attention anymore.

* * *

D collapses onto her bed. Sally looks up from a datapad. "So, excited?"

D looks up at her. "For what?"

"Your date." Sally rolls her eyes.

Zara enters, "Hey, ready for training?"

"Already? I thought we weren't training till later." D says, more confused than whiny. It just seemed a bit unusual. And apparently helping someone pick out clothes is very tiring.

"Well, you are going to be busy later." Zara smirks, knowingly.

"With what?" D asks, throughly confused.

"Your date?" Zara raises an eyebrow.

"What date?" Sage's voice causes Sally to jump, but neither D nor Zara are surprised. Zara leans against the doorframe allowing Sage and Willy to view into the room.

"Apparently I have a date tonight." D shrugs.

"With who?!" Sage asks, unusually startled and flustered.

"That's something I'd like to know." D says, looking at Zara and Sally.

Willy, Zara and Sally all share a look of confusion. "Ezra?"

D pauses, confused. Then, she rolls her eyes. "Well, that is going to be tricky considering he's got a date with Marsha tonight?"

Willy's jaw drops, "You sure?"

D rolls her eyes, exacerbated, "Considering I spent the last hour and a half helping her pick out an outfit for it, yeah, yeah I am."

Willy groans, "I have to go reassess the bets." He goes into his room across the hall.

"Well, good." Sage stutters. "I have to go... plan something..."

Zara arches her eyebrow. "D, come get me when your ready to train." She turns and follows Sage. "Hey!"

"Zara?" Sage turns back at her.

"I know you see D as a daughter. Kriff, I think the whole squad knows." Zara sighs. "And I know you aren't keen on her dating."

"That's ridiculous." Sage shakes his head. "D's just too young to be dating."

Zara rolls her eyes. "Marsha's younger than D. And both are more grown up than teens their ages. She's gone through more than most adults three times her age."

"If your going to say that is proof that she doesn't need someone look after her, don't." Sage snaps.

"I'm not. It means she needs it even more. But she is growing up. Try and accept that." Zara puts her hand on his shoulder. Sage sighs.

* * *

Sonya looks over the base diagrams she had pulled up. There is no way her Jedi and their rebels will pass up this, especially with the lies she leaked. It's all a game of wits and she always beat her brother at daijek. "Helmets on, troopers." Sonya closes her eyes in frustration. They are a well oiled machine in spite of only training together for a couple of weeks. She actually wonders if they are ready to take on the rebels, something she wasn't anticipating for at least another three months of intensive training. Yet, she still can't get them to keep their helmets on.

She shoots a look at Chance. He smiles, sheepishly, as he put the helmet back on. She feels his displeasure through the Force. "Need I remind you all, you are the first of your kind. Never before has a team been created to assist an inquisitor, to work closely with an Imperial Force user. I won't say if it is an honor or a pain, that is for you to decide. However, it does mean all eyes are upon you, especially my superiors. You must present yourself as more than professional."

"Right, Offee." Fisher groans, looking at her helmet.

"Offee is actually the least of my concerns." Sonya looks over to the girl. "She is merely an inquisitor. The eyes I worry about are that of the new Grand Inquisitor, his master, and his master's master."

"Who are they?" Torence shrugs. Mich looks over at her worried.

"The previous Grand Inquisitor was my former master who was killed in battle a year ago. The title is currently under intense competition, though the front runner is an inquisitor named Snoke, Offee and... a few others. However, because there is no current Grand Inquisitor, daily operation of running have transfered to the Grand Inquisitor's master, Lord Vader."

"That name sounds familiar." Mich says.

"Not to me." Raff says confused.

"You're all familiar with Lord Vader's master." Sonya says.

"Whose he?" Grace asks.

Sonya looks at the display. She is quiet for a moment. A small section begins flashing. The flies have entered the venus fly trap. "The Emperor, himself." Everyone chokes back a gasp. "And merciful to Force wielders, he is not. Helmets on, we have a job to do." Everyone slams on their helmets and files out. Chance pauses for a moment, and whispers, "Have you ever met him?" He doesn't need to specify who "he" is.

"Only enough to know I never want to cross him." Sonya says. "We have a job to do."

Chance nods.

* * *

Ezra kicks out the grate and drops in a knock out gas container. The officers within collapse quickly. Ezra double checks that his breathing mask is on before jumping into the room. He glances around as he makes his way to the control panel. He opens up his comlink twice, signaling the crew that he has made it to the room that controlling access to the base.

He unlocks the side gate onto the base. That should do. Now he just needs to wait and protect their exit point. Gives him plenty of time to ponder why this base has a room controlling the gates onto the base. It seems a bit unusual. Smart in some ways but-

Ezra's thoughts freeze mid-thought. The Force sings into his ears. He closes his eyes, letting the Force take hold of his consciousness and direct him. He sees Sonya marching down a hall followed by stormtroopers. He feels her not that far away and heading straight for his team.

He shove off the breathing mask, ignoring the slowly dissipating gas, and activates his com, "Spector 1! Sunny's heading your way."

Kanan's voice comes on immediately, "Roger that, Specter 6! Specter 5, hurry up."

"I can't find the data!" Sabine shouts back.

"Karablast! This whole thing was a set up." Ezra says, before coughing into his sleeve, muffling it. His sight blurs. Ezra shakes his head. Sabine hadn't been kidding when she said the stuff was nasty.

"It's beginning to look that way." Kanan says. Ezra can easily here the frustration in his voice. Ezra looks back at the screen. He double checks the control.

"Karablast! I am locked out systems!" Ezra says.

"Meet up with us." Kanan orders.

"Kay, Specter 1." Ezra says, turning off his com and breaking into a coughing fit. He burst out into the hall and gasps for fresh air. After a few moments, he straightens himself out and runs towards Kanan's Force signature.

He avoids troopers and officers as he rushes towards the crew. But he knows Sonya is rushing to them too.

He finally turns the last corner and see a sight that floors him. His team is actually struggling with these troopers. The troopers shots are far too close for comfort. Ezra dodges one sent his way. He sees Kanan going up against his sister with another trooper firing at them. One of the troopers shots skirts past Kanan's ears, barreling towards Sonya. Sonya jumps out of the way of the shot. Ezra uses the distraction to his advantage, jumping into the fray.

He glances at Kanan, who nods. Both strike towards Sonya's head, who spins out of the way. Kanan strikes up, Ezra strikes down. Sonya blocks them as she moves out of the way.

The stormtrooper raises his blaster to fire at the Jedi, only to be hit in the back of the head by a blast from Sabine. The trooper goes down hard. Sonya groans, "There's a surprise." She jumps out of the way of a lightsaber.

Ezra deactivates his lightsaber quickly and shoots a slightly large stormtrooper wrestling with Zeb. His lightsaber reactivates as the trooper goes down. Zeb throws the trooper into two troopers aim at him, knocking both out. Zeb runs over to Sabine who is taking on three troopers. Sonya nails his lightsaber with a powerful blow as he brings the lightsaber back up to block. The blow reverberates through his wrist, torquing it in a way it's not suppose to go.

Ezra glances at Kanan, who nods. They send out their hands. A powerful Force push sends Sonya flying into a wall. "Come on!" Kanan orders. The four run out of there.

* * *

Sonya stands at attention in front of her seven troopers, her seven stupid troopers, as they get chewed out by Offee. The worst part is that Offee is completely right. They fell apart out there and for the life of her, as little as she felt that was worth, she could not figure out why. Even Chance had missed the Jedi, Jarrus, and very nearly hit her.

"Your team's skills were pitiful" Offee says in a way that sounds like she is talking to stupid child.

"With all due respect, we have only been training for a short period of time. I was not even expecting to take them into the field for at least another month and a half-" Sonya snaps, but cuts off suddenly, surprising her team. Sonya's hand goes to her throat. Everyone, except Raff and Chance's heads snap to Offee, whose hand is out stretched in a Force choke.

Chance whispers to Mich. "What's going on?"

Mich looks at him shocked, "You've never seen a- Of course, you've never see an inquisitor choke someone."

"Guys, she's been doing it for a really long time." Grace whispers, worried.

"She's not going to kill the captain, is she?" Torence whispers. Chance pales, snapping his head to Sonya.

"She's turning blue..." Raff notices, worry lacing his voice.

Offee looks at them, glaring. Sonya falls to the ground. Sven grabs Chance's shoulder without breaking eye contact from the scene in front of them, before Chance even realizes he is leaning forward.

"Ma'am..." Fisher interrupts, softly.

Mich grabs Chance's other shoulder.

"Ma'am?" Fisher says a little louder.

Raff makes a fist in frustration.

Sonya starts making some funny noises that sets everyone into further panic.

"MA'AM!" Fisher yells, in desperation. Fisher is flung against the back wall.

Sonya gasps, as air refills her lungs.

"Do not talk back to me, Trooper." Offee snarls. Sonya bonds up quickly, stars flooding her vision as blood leaves her head. Her vision blacks out and her body feels like its about to collapse. She pushes through.

"Master, may I remind you discipline of my team rest solely under my jurisdiction." Sonya says, quickly.

Offee glares down at her. "I expect punishment, swiftly, Child." Offee turns and leaves.

Everyone visible relaxes. Sonya takes a more stable stance so she does not fall over.

Chance approaches her, ready to support her should she need it, "You okay, Ma'am?"

Sonya looks at him, "What was that out there?"

Chance tilts his head, "Huh?"

"You heard me, Sorayu." Sonya huff, "What. Was. That?" She looks over her team. "You guys sucked out there. It was like all our train did not happened."

"Not our fault, Ma'am." Grace says, "We couldn't see a thing."

"We've been training with our helmets off." Torence explains. "Our helmets severally limit our sight."

"Bantha Poodoo." Sonya deadpans, then grabs Chance's helmet from under his arm and slams it on her head. She pauses a moment, then looks left, then right. "Wow. I can't see anything." She pulls it off. "Alright then. I'll see what I can do about this." She pauses looking at the helmet. "Seriously, how did this come from clone armor? Clone armor is so much better."

"I have no clue, Ma'am. Even cadet helmets are better than those." Torence says.

Sonya rubs her forehead. "Right. Of course, they are. I hope you all realize we'll be training harder after this debacle and Fisher, Offee is expecting some kind of punishment for 'talking back'. Come talk to me in an hour about a suitable punishment." Everyone groans at this.

* * *

"Ow." Ezra groans, as Dr. Arlo wraps his wrist. "Hey, Doc, can this be over soon?"

"It will be done sooner if stop squirming." Dr. Arlo says. "Seriously, Kid, be more careful. You are here so much that the new nurse got trained on how to make hot chocolate just the way you like it."

"She did an okay job." Ezra takes a swig of his hot chocolate with his good robotic hand. "And I am careful."

"Need I remind you of the fact that your metal arm took three hours to clean before I could adjust it for your growth spurt?" Dr. Arlo says, rolling his eyes.

"Not my fault I got stuck in a swamp for two months." Ezra shrugs. "Are we done? I'm going to be late."

"Late? For what?" Dr. Arlo asks.

"His date." D's voice chimed.

Ezra's face lit up. "Hey D."

D smiles warmly back, pulling up a chair. "Glad to see it's only a minor injury that brought you here this time. With your reputation, I was actually worried."

"Har dee har har." Ezra rolls his eyes.

Dr. Arlo shakes his head, at the budding romance. "Done. Have fun on your date." He looks at both of them. Ezra completely misses the fact the Dr. Arlo is telling them to have fun. D however, being teased all day by her confused squad, does not.

"Yeah, Marsha's really excited." D smirks, subtly correcting the doctor.

"Oh, boy, now, I am worried." Ezra says.

"Be sure to complement her on her outfit." D says, knowingly. "And put on a fresh set of clothes and comb your hair."

"My hair is not that bad." Ezra rolls his eyes.

D reaches up, removes the rubber band holding back his hair, and ruffles it. She smirks, "Now it is."

"Alright, alright, you win." Ezra frowns as he pulls out the pine cone she shoved into his collar. "See you tomorrow?"

"Of course." D smiles, warmly. "Better hurry."

"Right, again. Bye." Ezra dashes out of the room. A quick change of cloth and hair brush later, Ezra sitting on the old couch in the smaller of the two rec room in the base. Marsha comes in smiling. Ezra stands, giving her a smile. She is in a flowing green dress and a brown vest.

Ezra remembers what D said. "You look great."

"Thank you." Marsha smiles brightly, then holds up a thermos and a tin, "I brought kaff and cookies."

"Great." Ezra smiles, even though he isn't overly found of kaff. It's more than he thought to bring. "What type of movies do you like?"

"I heard Gone With the Blossoms was on tonight." Marsha smiles.

"I have no clue what that is." Ezra admits.

"Oh, its a classic." Marsha flips on the holonet. As the credits roll, she pours them both cups of kaff. Ezra smiles and graciously accepts, struggling to recall all the manners his mother tried to nail into him. They chat during the commercials, laughing at the particularly ridiculous ons. Some times Marsha would regale him with stories of their childhood, and if he remembered he'd chime in adding something that made them laugh. However when the movie starts again, Marsha starts tearing up over the movie and Ezra is clearly bored out of his mind. After the movie hits the two and a half hour mark, Ezra turns to Marsha, "How long is this movie?"

Marsha, who had changed her position to be lying across a large portion of the couch and is sniffling into a tissue, "It's an old classic. They are a lot long and much more dynamic than movies made now."

Ezra holds back a groan. He likes Marsha, but he can safely say that whatever romantic chemistry feels like, he is not feeling any of it with Marsha. He did feel a friendship forming though.

About fifteen minutes later, Ezra catches himself nodding off. Not surprising since they had just returned from a mission earlier that day, one that involved Sunny... Those always left him drained. Maybe he could just meditate for a moment...

Sometime later, Marsha looks over at Ezra. He is fast asleep. Marsha shakes her head. Then shesees the time.

Marsha goes over and shakes his shoulder, "Hey," Marsha says, as Ezra pr eyes open. "I think we should call it a night."

"I'll walk you back to you ship." Ezra smiles throw a yawn, picking up the empty thermos with his good hand.

Marsha gets up and grabs the tin and turning off the movie. "Thanks, I had a great time... You're a good friend." Marsha says, summing up the chemistry she felt between them, that of friendship. She hopes she isn't hurting him, but there isn't any chemistry, or at least what she imagined chemistry is...

"Glad to be." Ezra smiles, relieved, as they leave the rec room.

**Writer's Corner: SpaceBlueberries**

**Thank you time! Thank you Midnight Luna for reviewing. I will be updating weekly, unless I am updating another story. (Obvious subtlety is obvious. I have another story in the works, that I may be publishing next week. Thank the finale for that). Thank you Jedi Jelsa777 for reviewing. Glad to give you the feels. Plot will be returning next week though. Thank you Paint the ****Fangirling UniWolf for reviewing. I think everyone cried at one point or another. Thank you Skypeoplephoeniz732 for reviewing. The reason Ezra goes on a date with Marsha is because it happens in real life. No one expects to meet the love of their life on their first date. And yet we never see that in media. So, I put it in here. Ezra will date and he will have heartbreak before he finds happiness.**

**Question Time: What do you think of Kanan's blindness.**


	37. Special: I Love You

**Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday Dear Ner Vod! Happy Birthday to You! That's right it is Ner Vod is one year old and still active updated. It's a miracle. So, here is a birthday gift, a new special. This holds a possible future, similar to the first special. You know the drill by now, but STAR WARS REBELS IS OWNED BY THE MOUSE! I apologize for errors delays and long winded author's notes.**

**WARNING: Midnight Luna, read at your own risk. I take no responsibility for your mental health should you read this. Midnight Luna's inner fangirl, please, try and keep her sane.**

* * *

Mira is lucky. She knows she is. She really is. Very few of her classmates get to see their families daily. But… She can't help but wonder… Especially after the weekly call home day, when all her friends talk on and on about their parents and their homeplanets, and she has nothing to say. She can't say anything…

Her home is the temple.

And even before she came to the temple… She has been at the temple since the beginning. She even remembers running supplies back and forth when they were fixing up the temple two years ago after the destruction of the second Death Star. And before that… She was never with her parents…. She's never had a homeplanet…. She traveled with her uncle and his padawan… And before that… all she remembers is a dark hole of misery.

She glances down at her left hand. Without her protective glove, the metal joints glint back at her in the light cast by her rose and heart nightlight. She doesn't grieve the loose. It's been like that since before she can remember. But it happened in that dark place, she is sure of it. It's the place she returns to in her nightmares, and the place that the green lady causes her pain in that hand.

So, where did her parents fit in? If she has parents…

The questions about that have been swarming in her head for a month and she is worrying her uncle. But… She can't ask him… What if it hurts his feelings? But she is already worrying him… And Grandma And Uncle Kanan and Aunt Hera… And Depa… And Aunt Dhara… And Aunt Talia… And Uncle Orin… And Master Skywalker… And Mrs. Tano-Bonteri And General Organa and Solo… Mr. Froggy even visited in his Force ghost form…

And… And… She has a test tomorrow in her worst subject, diplomacy, and she's not getting a lick of sleep until she at least gets some answers. She kicks off the covers and jumps off the bed. Hopefully her uncle isn't asleep. It's past 2200!

She quietly sneaks the door open. The light of the Holonet lights the room, block off slightly by the back of the couch. "I can't believe you actually watch this Bantha poodoo." Ezra chuckles lightly. What's poodoo?

"Hey, they try and make it historically accurate." Dhara chuckles back. She's still here? Mira raises an eyebrow. Dinner had been hours ago.

"Do or do not, there is no try." Ezra says, in a gravelly voice, clearly trying to imitate Mr. Froggy.

"Yeah, yeah, Yoda." Mira see Dhara's arm come over the couch and down, as she playfully smack him with a pillow.

"Seriously, they don't even get that "we" are the same person." Mira can practically hear him rolling his eyes. Who is we?

"You got me there. I am betting we get a dramatic Death scene of Ezra 'Bridger' to explain his mysterious disappearance." Dhara quips.

"Yeah, mysterious." Ezra is laughing again.

"Talia and I thought about making a drinking game out of it. A shot for every inaccuracy." Dhara says.

"Sounds like an excellent way to get alcohol poisoni-" Ezra stops midsentence. Slowly, he gets up looking over the couch. Dhara leans up and follows his line of sight. "Mira, what are you doing up?" Ezra asks, gently. "Did you have a nightmare?" Mira shakes her head. "Do you want some hot chocolate?" Mira shakes his head and looks down at her feet. Ezra and Dhara share a startled look. Worry flashes through Ezra's eyes. He pushes it down focusing on Mira. "Mira, is something wrong?" Mira doesn't look up. "Mira, come here," He shakes his head.

Mira slowly walks around the couch. Ezra smirks, grabbing her and spinning them around. Mira and Ezra burst into laughter. Ezra collapses down on to the couch. Dhara seizes the moments and launches into a tickle fest until they are all breathless.

Mira curls up in her uncle's side while Dhara strokes her back, comfortingly. Mira remembers her question. "Uncle Ezra…"

"Yeah, Little One?" Ezra smiles fondly at her.

"Do every kid has parents?" She looks up at him.

Ezra's eyebrows shoot up then, his face adopts a sad resigned face. "Yes, Little One." He knew this day would come eventually, just not this soon.

"Then, why don't mine call me like all the other kids? Or stay with us like Depa and Kanan and Hera?" Mira looks up sadly. "Do they not want to talk to me?"

"No!" Ezra says, rushing it out. "Your parents love you more than anything."

"Then why aren't they here?" Mira asks.

"Mira, if they could they would be." Ezra says.

"Are they traveling the galaxy?" Mira asks, hopeful. Ezra looks away, not answering. Mira looks down "Will I get to see their Force Ghost?"

"Mira… Force ghost are very rare. Very few people can achieve them…" Dhara leans over hugging them both.

"So, I will never know them?" Mira starts to tear up. A loud crash comes from the holonet. A blonde actress appears on screen with a red lightsaber that looked faker than imperial propaganda appears with a sinister smirk. Ezra glares at the screen. He could put up with a lot of the inaccuracies but this one came the closest to causing him to loose his Jedi cool. Dhara, sensing this, picks up Mira. "Scary…" That inquisitor was terrifying.

"How about I tell you about how I met your mother?" Dhara asks, smiling fondly. Mira nods. "Well, when I was young. My brother, Zare, and I were raised in a pro-Imperial family. And I found myself training at the Imperial Academy. I was a star pupil. No one could beat. I was the strongest, the fastest, and the smartest. And that brought trouble. I was taken from there and force to train in the Dark Side. Now, I had realized how awful the Empire was and fought back. That cost me my memories. Still, I fought. And when I was just about to break, a friendly hand opened my cell. That hand belonged to your mother. Without a word and without expecting anything in return, she snuck me to the hanger bay and put me on a ship. I escaped my fate as an inquisitor because of her. She was so kind, even at her worst. Her thoughts never were on herself." Dhara smiles, leaving off the part where Sonya had refused to leave with Dhara as she felt she was too broken.

"Your mother was a real hero." Ezra smiles, ruffling Mira's head. "She'd never turn her back on someone who needed help. She stood tall even in the roughest of winds. And she loved you more than anything in this galaxy."

Dhara sighs, looking back at the screen. Every word that he said is true. However, the galaxy doesn't want to see it like that. They want black and white and clean. But that's just not reality.

The inquisitor is taunting her onscreen self about being a traitor and not knowing where her true loyalty lies.

It really isn't that simple.

"Really?" Mira asks, hesitantly.

"Yes, you were her world." Ezra smiles. Then after a moment, he admits, "I wouldn't have found you with out her…"

"What about my daddy?" Mira looks up at him.

"I don't know much about him. I never really met him." Ezra admits. "Though, he loved you and your mommy very much and stayed with her through thick and thin. You actually got his hair." Ezra ruffles her hair. "And his last name."

"Hey!" Mira laughs, grabbing his arms.

"You know, Grandma probably has a few pictures of her." Ezra says. "Maybe you can go to her apartment after classes tomorrow. Speaking of which… Bed time."

"No hot chocolate?" Mira yawns.

"How about I make you a big girl size hot chocolate in the morning?" Ezra chuckles, knowing she wouldn't be able to stay awake long enough for him to make hot chocolate the right way. She is so much like her mother. Sonya would never get up in the morning without hot chocolate, either. He should know, he's had to wake up both.

Mira yawns. "Promise?" Mira remembers the dark place. She should ask about that, but she is afraid. Not of the dark place, well, not fully. She's afraid that the answers will make her even more afraid. What if the Green Lady is real? What is that place?

Let it remain a place of nightmare. She isn't even a padawan, yet. She can be blind for little while longer

"Promise." Ezra kisses her forehead.

Mira glances over to Dhara. "You asked her yet?" Mira "tries" to whisper. Ezra immediately flushes, getting up immediately and carries her to bed. Mira climbs into her bed. Ezra tucks her in.

"What was that about, Mira? It was suppose to be a surprise," Ezra asks.

"You're trying to surprise a Jedi?" Mira smirks. Ezra looks down at his niece. How she got his father's and her mother's snark is beyond him. "Beside, now, you can't back out." It is far easier to see how she got her grandmother's wit.

"I am not going to back down." Ezra says, shakes his head. "I'm just waiting for the right time."

"Why? You guys pretty much already are! It just needs to make it off.. officey?" Mira says.

"Official, and you've been eavesdropping on Uncle Kanan and Aunt Hera, haven't you?" Ezra says, unamused.

"No." Mira giggles. Ezra gives her a look. "Uncle Kanan and Uncle Zeb. And I thought she already was, when you told me what you were going to do. Remember?"

"Good night, Little One." Ezra kisses her forehead and turn on the light music of her favorite singer. Ezra shakes his head with a smile. Quietly, he returns to the living room, shutting the door behind him.

"So, what are you going to ask me?" Dhara chuckles.

"Uh… Umm… Why don't we go for a walk?" Ezra asks. Dhara starts, at the first sign that some thing is up. She can count on one… Actually, no, there has never been an instance of Ezra leaving Mira alone at night. "I can call Kanan and he can keep an ear out for Mira."

Dhara looks at him, confused. "You sure?" Even with Kanan and Hera right next store, it is unusual for Ezra to just… "What are you planning?"

"Nothing, just let me call him." Ezra smiles. One call featuring a teasing Kanan and him hanging up before Hera starts, the two head out into the halls of the temple.

They talk and laugh and just be themselves, hands locked together. The large open windows are paint with the crisp clean night sky. Eventually, they make it to the open halls surrounding the courtyard. Dhara leans against the low wall separating the courtyard and halls. Ezra leans next to her and puts his arm around her shoulder. "Zare's thinking that maybe we should try to bridge the gap with our parents…"

"What do you think?" Ezra asks. Her parents are a sore spot for both Zare and Dhara. They had been so enraptured with the Empire… It really had driven a wedge between parent and child that is slow to heal.

"Honestly, I know it is awful to me to say this. Especially, with all the families I've seen torn apart. But I have so few memories of them that I honestly don't care." Dhara admits, and knows that Ezra already knows this, but patient enough to listen to her feelings about it, again. And again. And again. "Sage and Zara have been more of parents to me then them, to the point that when we do get married, Zara will be seated in the bride's family area and Sage will be walking me down the aisle. Or Zare, haven't given much thought yet. But, hey, it's a ways off." After all they aren't even engaged, yet.

"Oh, so you're claiming my aunt?" Ezra chuckles, pulling something out of his sleeve.

"Well, she was my master-" Dhara gives a yelp as something is shoved down her the back of her robe. She shakes out her robe, revealing a pinecone. "Oh, it is so on."

"You'll have to catch me first!" Ezra hops over the wall, followed by Dhara. She chase after him through the courtyard, to and through the trees. They weave in and out, until both can barely breath through laughter. Ezra sneaks around a tree and snakes his arms around his girlfriend's waste from behind. He leans over, falling in a way that insures both of them are fine. They land in the flowers planted between the threes and open courtyard, laughing. Dhara slowly stops laughing as she curls closer to Ezra's chest and stares up at the stars.

Ezra looks down at her as a strange emotion emits off her. Dhara answers his unsaid question, "I just got this feeling… Not a Force feeling, but just disbelief. The Empire is gone. The Jedi are rebuilding. Sure, there is the First Order, but the Republic is back. It feels like a dream. That I could wake up at any moment and have this long dream be over."

"I know the feeling. Believe me, I think everyone who served in the Rebellion gets it." Ezra smiles at her. "But it is over. At least, our part of it and most of the galaxies part in it is as well. And we can move on. Move forward. And, well, that thing about choosing between Zare and Sage… It may need to happen sooner rather than latter."

Dhara looks at him. Ezra pulls out a small pouch from his robes and pulls out a ring. A ring that Dhara recognizes as having been Miranda's wedding band. Dhara beams at him and nods, holding out her hand. He slips the ring onto her finger without a word.

Dhara leans up and kisses him. All the worries of the world could wait. This was their moment. This and every other moment and nothing is going to take it from them. And what ever tried, they would face together.

* * *

**Thank You Time! Thank you Nurofen for following and Favoriting. Thank you Oaka for favoriting. Thank you FrostSpecter and ShadowBella987 for following. Thank you Paint the Fangirling UniWolf, Midnight Luna, Jedi Jelsa777, and Skypeoplephoenix732 for reviewing.**

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**And thank you everyone for your patience last quarter. It was utterly insane. But now we are facing a new year, and the story is continuing forward.**


	38. Chapter 35: The Temple

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Sorry this is a day late. Had something to do yesterday morning that came to nothing. Hope you all liked the special! Back to plot! Those it's a plot thread we haven't seen in a while. I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! GIVE IT UP FOR THE MOUSE! I apologize for error, delays and long-winded author's notes. Enjoy**!

* * *

Talia stretches getting ready to meditate as instructed. Unfortunately, it is not the quote-on-quote "active meditation" she gets to do when she practices her archery. Just regular mediation. But hey, she wanted to be a Jedi, so she better just suck it up.

She sits down on her knees and begins to open her mind. "Today's meditation is going to be a little different." Moana's voice instructs her. Talia cocks her head to the side. "You are going to look for something."

Talia waits a moment for Moana to elaborate. "So, what are we looking, Teacher?"

Her master smiles at the title. After hearing her past, they had agreed to change the traditional title which had negative condition in the taken culture. They needed each other, like any great master-padawan teams. Only time would tell if they are one. "Not we. You. And you will know it when you find it."

"Did all Jedi speak in riddles?" Talia asks.

"Only the good ones." Her teacher fights back a chuckle. Her master annoyed her when she was a padawan. Her master was annoy by his master when he was a padawan. She annoyed Zara when she was a padawan. And by all that is good, she knows Talia will do it in spades.

Talia nearly bursts into laughter, "I just got an image of a Jedi speaking in riddles while ordering out."

Her master smiles at the image. Hers was extra funny due to the Jedi in question being Master Yoda. "Come Padawan, focus." Their hour of meditation passes and Talia finds nothing.

* * *

Sonya looks up at the profile. She has been spotted not to long ago. And promptly trounced the butts of all three inquisitors who found her. Not surprising. Her master went up against her three... no, four times and lost each time. Of course, he didn't know his apprentice's connection to the Jedi Master. So, she is going by Moana now.

The only inquisitor who even got close to capturing her was Offee. And that had mediating circumstance.

"You're smirking." Chance's voice comes out of nowhere. She doesn't glance up as he sits down to her right. Sonya told them all to meet in a conference room for their next practice. Chance had arrived early, knowing she'd be early and he could get some alone time with her. While he did like his team, they did cut in on time they could sneak away alone.

"So I am." She acknowledges.

"Who is she?" Chance asks looking at Moana's picture.

Sonya glances down at the most resent development. A padawan. Inanna Syndulla. A twi'lek "Moana" rescued from being taken to the training station for inquisitors. Her brother had called her Talia during their confrontation. But there is more than enough records for her to confirm, that Talia the Taken and Inanna Syndulla are one and the same.

Sonya is cursing herself for not realizing Talia was Force sensitive. She put another kid in danger of being sent to that...

But another thought fills her head. A rather darker thought. Has this girl replaced her? "Moana" was suppose to train her not some stranger... Sonya shakes it away. There was nothing to replace. Sonya had shattered their relationship a long long time ago... While Sonya may still see her as... she doubts that the woman views her as anything more than a mistake.

She feels a hand on her cheek. She looks over to Chance. He knows she's not crying, but he also knows she needs support. He scoots his chair over to her and wraps an arm around her. She leans into his chest, keeping her sense extended for their team.

Chance looks at the woman. She makes Sonya happy yet can make her sad just as easily. Who is she?

Sonya sigh, "I'll tell you some day. But... not today..."

"Take your time." Chance reassures. "So what brings us here today?"

Sonya smirks, "You need to know your prey if you are to catch them. I'll be showing you the information we have on the Jedi we know are alive."

Chance glances up at the photo. So, this woman is a Jedi... He files that away for later, instead enjoying her presence.

* * *

Talia sighs before entering a meditative state. She's been looking for who knows what for the past month. And she has found nothing. Now, she isn't impatient. When it is necessary, she can be very patient. But that is when she feels like she is doing something.

She sighs, after fifteen minutes, giving up on searching and instead just letting the Force guide her. She'll look with fresh eyes tomorrow. The Force causes her skin to tingle.

Her eyes opens. But Talia didn't open her eyes... But how else can she explain looking at... What is she looking at? It isn't her room or her teacher's room or where ever she decided to meditate. In fact, it looks like...

Talia stifles a gasp. This is Lothal. The rock hills she had grown up climbing. The grasses she hunted in. There is even a tooka mewing in the grass. She mindlessly takes a step forward, looking around. Then she is moving fast, without taking a step. She is flying across the ground, without her feet leaving it. Across grasslands, passing mountains, over water, she moves.

She approaches a mountain but unlike the others she doesn't avoid it. She's going to HIT IT! Talia flinches. But she doesn't feel an impact.

She looks around. She is in a dark tan room. She flies through a doorway. Then, she is surrounded by dark. Is she still moving? Or has she stop? Does it even matter?

There isn't up. There isn't down. She doesn't even feel the ground. There is nothing here. Yet... She feels peaceful here, connected. She feel everything. There is everything here. Nothing, yet everything.

Slowly, stars blink into existence. Each a different color, colors she couldn't even imagine. She is surrounded by the stars, by the universe, by life. By the Force itself. Then two yellow stars approach her spinning around themselves. They are the color of the Lothal sun after a harsh storm. That sun always filled her with happiness.

They come closer to her. They aren't stars. They are crystals. Kyber crystals. Her crystals. Talia smiles, as she returns to darkness, to up is up and down is down. She opens her eyes and is back on the ship, in her room.

Adrenaline and excitement fills her. She springs up. "Teacher! Teacher!" She races through the ship, heading for the cockpit. Her teacher is in the captains chair, hyperspace racing across the windows. "Teacher!" Her teacher smiles in amusement. She knows. Talia smiles, breathing as she tries to quell her excited exterior. "I found where my Kyber crystals are."

They exit hyperspace. Talia blanches at the planet. Lothal. "You knew."

Her teacher waves it off. "Call it a hunch. I was looking through the bowels of the holocrom for possible places to find kyber crystal as the most common place, Ilum, is..."

"Being farmed by the Empire using child slave labor." Talia offers, shaking her head.

"I was going to say impossible to get to unless you like wearing buckets." Her teacher smiles. "I was quiet surprised to find a temple on Lothal. Lived there for seven years. Never once thought to check."

"But how did you know there are kyber crystals here?" Talia asks, clearly that hadn't been recorded or there would be a greater trooper presence on Lothal.

"Lothal is quiet literally the middle of nowhere in the the outer rim. It is so out of the way that it wasn't colonized until the last years of the republic. Only really gaining a population from refugees trying to escape the war and later the Empire." Her teacher begins piloting the ship to the planet.

"That didn't work out so well..." Talia sits down in the co-pilot seat. "But how does that prove kyber crystals on Lothal?"

"Why would the Jedi, who only had ten thousand at its height, divert resources to maintain a temple here long ago?" Her master smirks. "The Jedi did have multiple temples but the locations had significance. Early on, Kyber crystals were found across the galaxies, with several temples built where the were common. By the fall, all padawans were going to Ilum for their crystal. So, that leaves one question. What happened to those temples?"

"They were forgotten..." Talia says, unable to deny the irony. A girl that the galaxy forgot is getting her crystals, in a way a reflection of herself, from a temple the Jedi forgot.

* * *

Sonya sighs, sitting down in the meeting room shoving down an arm full of datapads. "Well, I think it is official. The Lothal rebels are no longer based on Lothal."

Raff looks up from his meal. "They are the ones we are looking for, right?" A few of the others look up as well.

"The ones we are primarily after, yes. They often make supply runs to Tarkintown. And the padawan's messages are still being heard. But their activity on Lothal has all but vanished and they are now seen on other systems far more often." Sonya explains, looking at one datapad. Chance shoves her tray of food at her, moving some of the datapads away. Sonya goes to grab another datapad, only to find her hand in something yellow on the food tray. She shoots a look at Chance, who shoots a look back. Sonya rolls her eyes, unfolding the napkin and wiping her hand off.

"So what-" Raff begins asking, but is cut off by Sonya standing.

"A Jedi just entered Lothal's atmosphere." Sonya says. "We leave now."

Everyone scrambles up. Chance asks, stepping closer to her, "Jarrus and the Ghost crew?"

"No," Sonya says. She only felt it for a second before it was cloaked, but... "Someone who is far more of a threat. I am afraid you guys won't have much to do as it is only a Jedi and her padawan."

"How do you know it is her?" Chance asks, not sure who her is.

"I'd never mistake this Force signature." Sonya say. Yeah, she'd never mistake this Force signature that wraps around her and makes her feel safe warm and loved. She misses it so much.

* * *

"We should hurry." Her teacher says, as they enter the temple. "Even if this is a forgotten temple, the Empire may still have it on record. And we've already been here longer than I'd have liked."

"Sorry." Talia winces.

"Hey, this is your journey. You take as long as you like. Very few padawans could have been any faster. I just wasn't anticipating an inquisitor or an inquisitor in training on Lothal..."

"Her?" Talia asks. Her master nods. Talia looks to the side, not sure what to say. "Kriffin' huttslime of a nerfherder's stick!" Talia jumps at the sight of a dead body. The door slams shut behind them. Talia rubs the back of her head. "Oops."

"Don't swear. We're in a temple." Her master rolls her eyes.

"R...right..." Talia nods. "How old is this place?" Talia looks around. She feels her master's wonder.

"That over there is a symbol of the Light side. It fell out of fashion about five thousand years ago." Her teacher points out. Talia swears in her head. That number is far beyond her imagination. She's never seen five thousand of any thing. "And that is a symbol of the Dark side. They were portrayed together and used each others design to portray the interlacing of both sides. But that practice fell out of favor long, long ago... Even before these symbols fell out of favor." Talia looks around astounded. Her teacher sighs.

Talia nods, "We had better get started." Her teacher smirks at her. "Right, my journey... I'm going into alone."

"Smart girl." Her teacher smiles.

"So, may the Force be with you." Talia says.

"Trust in the Force. It is will be with you, always." Her teacher nods, sitting down into a meditative position.

"The corpses..." Talia asks, though she already has an idea.

"Teachers who padawans did not return..." Her teacher answers. Talia doesn't like that answer. "Trust in the Force and yourself and you'll be fine."

"Did you have to do something like this?" Talia asks.

"No, the challenge on Ilum came from the frigid environment and nasty predators... I do not know what await you down there." Her teacher sighs.

"You wouldn't tell me if you did. My journey, my test." Talia shakes her head. "See you soon, Teacher." She turns and walks through the door. The door closes behind her.

Her teacher sighs, "Be safe."

* * *

"Any idea how long we'll be driving?" Raff asks, leaning against the top of the driver's seat. Said driver, Sven, rolls his eyes.

"We'll get there when we get there." Chance looks at Sonya. She is sitting across from him, eyes closed and that weird collar from their time on the jungle planet is back on. While she is physically here, he doubts she's here mentally. She went into that state shortly after telling Sven to head them North and has only surfaced a few time to change the direction. This Jedi has to be that Jedi that is going by Moana...

"We've been driving for hours." Raff groans.

"We will get there when we get there." Torence says, harshly.

"Let's all calm down." Chance says, trying to keep the peace. "We are all a little bored, but snapping at each other does nothing but give flash backs to long road trips we took a children. So let's try and keep it professional."

Sonya's eyes snap open. She stand suddenly and walks to Sven. "Stop." Sven does as instructed. Sonya steps out of the transport, everyone follows. Sonya looks straight at a large mountain surround mostly by water. "Of course, they would come here..." Sonya holds out her hand, eyes closed.

"Su..nya" Chance asks, from behind her. She doesn't answer for a good few minutes.

"The Master and padawan have entered the Jedi Temple." Sonya's eyes snap open.

"Temple?" Torence asks.

"The mountain. Jedi records show it contains a Jedi Temple." Sonya explains

"So we go in an flush them out?" Grace asks.

"No, this temple only let a master and their apprentice in." Sonya says.

"So what? We call Offee?" Torence groans.

"Offee may insist on me calling her master, but she is no teacher to me." Sonya glowers, sitting down on the ground. "There is only one entrance. They have to come out some time." Everyone resists the urge to groan. Sonya rolls her eyes. "Helmets off. We are alone out here and I won't have you shooting so horribly for no reason."

* * *

Talia enters a room with three possible door ways. "Well, this is great. Hm... the middle is unlikely, no room for possible turns without burrowing really deep. Everyone tends to go to the left... So... right?" Talia sigh, "Right, and I am walking into a trap." She walks into the right doorway.

A few steps in, Talia freezes midstep. Her head snaps to the left. Ezra is leaning against the wall in that same ratty orange jumpsuit she had last seen him in. "Always so logical. Never trusting anything."

Talia flinches at the venom in his voice. "What are you doing here, Eb- Ezra?"

"What's it matter to you? It's not like you care about anyone but yourself." Ezra says harshly.

"What- That's not true." Talia defends herself.

"Then why did you leave me to die, Twi'lek?" Ezra growls.

Talia flinches.

* * *

"_Hey Twi'lek. Did you see any trappers out there?" A eight year old torgurta asks._

_"No, I think we are in the clear for tonight." The eight year old purple twi'lek huffs. While her scouting brings good news, she was unable to snag any food meaning she is going hungry tonight, again._

_Axle nods from his perch. Seriously, she wanted nothing more that to smack him and that condicending look, but he is also the best fighter among the tribe of nine and the oldest, so that would go so well. "Give the noob a hand with the fire. I, for one, have no desire to be cold tonight."_

_She rolls her eyes. The noob got picked up a week ago and despite his lack of ability to do much, he was able to keep up while dragging a starving fourteen year old taken who is so likely to die that he isn't even considered a member of the tribe. He hasn't yet realized he has to look out for himself, cause no one else will yet._

_She kneels down next to him. "Ebby." She growls. He looks up. She grabs the sticks he is rubbing together. "This." She mimics his actions. "Isn't going to do anything." She grabs a stick with a loose string tied to both ends. She wraps the string around a stick and start making a fire. Ezra watches intently. The fire lights up quickly. "Thanks." Ezra smiles. The fourteen year old groans. Ezra leans over and wipes his forehead._

_"Why bother?" She asks. "It's not like he is going to survive. And if he does, he won't do anything for you." He can't honestly be a taken for six months and not realize that._

_"I know. But if I don't help, who will?" Ezra smiles._

_"But what do you get out of it?" She asks._

_"I don't. But he needs help." Ezra says. She's gobsmacked. Just who is this kid? "So, what's your name?"_

_"Those who bother call me anything, call me 'Twi'lek'." She crinkles her forehead._

_"That's not your name, though. I've been here a week and no one's used it." Ezra says._

_"If I had one, I don't remember." She rolls her eyes. It's not like it matters._

_"Oh..." Ezra says sadly, "Then, I'll give you one! Hm... Talia! I'll call you Talia."_

_Talia? The twi'lek looks surprised. That's the name of some high class girl, a real lady. Not a street urchin. It just doesn't fit._

_"See you, Talia. I have to get some fresh water." Ezra says._

_"Wait a minute! I never-" Talia starts, but he is already gone._

_Later, Talia sits by the fire for a while, watching other takens eat and trying to ignore her hunger. She feels a hand on her shoulder. She looks up to see Ezra. He sits down next to her, with a smile. He pulls out a ration bar. She turns back to the fire, sighing. She feels Ezra nudge her again. "Talia." She ignores him. He nudges her, again. "Talia." She ignores him again. He nudges her. "Talia." She turns to snap at him. The swear word freezes in her mouth as she sees him holding out half the ration bar. She stares at him._

_"Here, Talia." Ezra smiles at her. She hesitantly takes it._

_"Um...Thanks..." She mumbles, stunned. She takes small bits, savoring it for as long as possible. For some reason, this bar tastes delicious. It is the bet thing she has ever tasted. Talia... If he keeps feeding her, he can call her whatever the kriff he wants. Within the week, that fourteen year old was dead. Talia for what ever reason felt the desire to comfort Ezra. She didn't see any harm, so she did._

* * *

Talia stares at Ezra. Why would he... He never... "What's going on, Ezra?"

"You may have fooled everyone else but I know the truth. You just a selfish kid who only looks out for number one. You'll never be more than that. You proved that when you shot me." Ezra kicks off the wall. He holds up a blaster and points it at her.

* * *

**Writer's Corner: MysteriouslyDeep. They are a very new writer whose only story is a very cute young Ezra story under the regular Star Wars category. Check it out.**

**Thank You Time! Thank you Crimsom-Wyvern for following and favoriting. Thank you HarmonyGirl567 for favoriting. Thank you Paint the Fangirlng UniWolf for reviewing. Glad you liked the special. Thank you Jedi Jelsa777 for reviewing. Yay! Someone agrees with me. I think Yoda has more than enough reason to lie through his teeth considering even Lucas didn't even know if Luke would stay on the Light Side. Maybe Leia lost contact with the Ghost crew and thought they were dead. Thank you Delta General 42 for review. Long time no see. Thank you EmilyBridger for reviewing. Thank you Midnight Luna for reviewing twice. Inner fangirl, is Midnight Luna revived or is she still in a coma from the special? Hey, I warned her. Inner fangirl, why are you the sane one? Normally the fangirl is the crazy one**.


	39. Chapter 36: More Than a Pretty Face

**RUHLSAR000 Here! How's it going? I… I really hope I don't piss anyone off. Rereading it, it isn't as bad as I thought it was, but it was difficult writing this. This one chapter ate up a good portion of my archive. However, I think it is decent and needed to introduce an OT character that will play an important roll later. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! GIVE IT UP FOR THE MOUSE!**** I apologize for errors, delays and long winded author's notes.**

* * *

"Ready!" D calls out from behind a tree.

Ezra adjusts his grip on his lightsaber. "Ready!" Chopper beeps that he is ready. D throws a pinecone into the air. Ezra shoots the pinecone before it reaches its apex. Chopper holds out a trooper helmet. Ezra blasts it, then spins to blast the three other pinecones D tossed into the air. Chopper's trooper helmet pops up again. Ezra nails it. Two more pinecones pop up into the air. Ezra shoots both of them into the air

"Not bad." An unfamiliar voice calls out. All three of them freeze before turning to the voice. A girl, Ezra's age, stands there, arms crossed and a smirk on her face, and loose brown hair down to her mid back. She is dressed solely in white. Ezra rolls his eyes as he recognizes the cloth. That cloth would have marked her for getting pickpocketed this was the streets.

Ezra's head fills with a vision. A planet being destroyed. A woman begging Master Kenobi for help. A woman, Han and a blonde man.

"What? Seen better?" Ezra rolls his eyes, as he shakes the vision away.

"Done better." The girl says, confidently. Too confidently. This kid would have gotten beat up with that attitude on the street. "Though, that really isn't hard. It's not like the poor pine cones can fire back."

"Oh, really?" Ezra says, not at all impressed by the way she was running her mouth. "I doubt you've been out of your gilled tower long enough to learn how to shoot."

"I've out shot many of the best shots in the midrim and core worlds." She says, glaring down at him.

"But it is the outer rim where the best of the best are." Ezra snips back.

D rolls her eye. She doesn't have to be Force sensitive to see these two are rubbing each other the wrong way. Who is that girl anyway? She hasn't seen her around before. "Hey, numb skulls before this sours more. How about you both just put the bolts where it counts?"

"That sounds agreeable." The girl says, eyeing Ezra.

"Fine, but does princess here have a name?" Ezra asks, looking at the girl.

"You don't... Of course not..." The girl shakes her head.

Ezra groans internally, "Hi, I am Ezra Bridger." He holds out his hand. "Now, you say your name and shake my hand. That's how introductions among the common folk normally go."

The girl glares at him with a sweet smile. "Leia. And polite ones don't normally come in a passive-aggressive tone." She shakes his hand. "Or at least, better hidden."

"Does that have a last name?" Ezra asks, ignoring her snide comments.

"None that I wish to share." Leia says, in a voice of a politician. Ezra rolls his eyes. Rich girl wants to pretend to be like everyone else.

"I'm D. If there is a last name with that, I don't know it. Excuse us a minute." D says, yanking Ezra's arm out of its socket as she pull them behind a few trees. "What. Is. Your. Deal?" D whispers, harshly.

"I don't like her type." Ezra growls, softly.

"Her type?" D raises an eyebrow.

"Rich conceited teen who thick they can always get their way because of their parents." Ezra growls, "The type that sneer and laugh at a poor hungry street kid just trying to stay warm. That think it's funny to throw gas on said street kid and try to light them on fire. Or that think its alright to plow into four people with a speeder to prove they can and that daddy's money will get them out of trouble."

"Good Gosh, Man! What the kriff have you been through?!" D says, in a state of disbelief and having trouble getting her jaw to work right.

"Too much." Ezra says. "Too much…"

"Okay, okay, but she may not be rich..." D argues.

"Her clothes cost more than the phantom." Ezra rolls his eyes.

D's head shoots up in surprise, wondering how he knew that but not doubting it. "Okay. But Tamara is rich and she's not-"

"Tamara wasn't handed it on a silver spoon." Ezra rolls his eyes.

"If you two are done flirting, I'd prefer to shut him up by out shooting him, than have someone else do it for me." Leia rolls her eyes.

"Fine." Ezra says, walking up to her readying his blaster.

"Oh! And for your information, I find the whole thing with that Senator's son rather distasteful as well." Leia shoots him a glare. This gives Ezra a half a moments pause.

D shakes her head. "Alright… You ready?" The only response is the two glaring at each other. D shakes her head. "Alright, Begin!" She tosses a pinecone into the air. Both blasts hit it at the exact same time. Another five pinecones are shot into the air. All of them hit, but D can't tell whose hitting what. Even with Ezra's blasts being a different color than normal blaster bolts. That sets the standard for the next fifteen minutes. D and Chopper have to get very creative in their tosses. But Leia and Ezra out shot their tosses with crazy trick shots.

Before long both are panting heavily and glaring at each other, with Ezra in the lead by one or two pinecones. "Not bad." Ezra, grudgingly, admits. Leia smirks at him. "Though experience out ranks, just about anything." Ezra eyes Leia.

"Yeah and?" Leia rolls her eyes.

Ezra lets out a harsh laugh, recalling her flinch when one of his blasts hit a pinecone a good two feet away from her. She's never been in a firefight. Or even close to one. "You've never been out in the field."

Leia looks confused, then rolls her eyes, "What does that have to do with anything? It's not like you've been out, either. You're too young. Both of you are."

Ezra shoots a look to D. D shares the look of disbelief. "Sorry, Your Highness, but I've been going on ops since before the different cells came together. Karablast, I had a direct hand in causing it. And D's been doing this just as long as I have been."

"A little longer, actually." D shrugs, doing the math in her head.

"What? But… Dad said…" Leia sputters, shocked.

Ezra's comm goes off. "I got to take this, Princess." Ezra steps a little ways away.

"You really have been doing this for over a year and a half." Leia asks D.

"Over two, actually, and I am not even the youngest of my cell." D shrugs like it is no big deal. It isn't really. The Empire has put cadets as young as thirteen into the field.

"How did you convince your parents to let you go on mission? Do they supervise you?" Leia shakes her head, as if trying to put the pieces together.

"No, I…" D shrugs bighting her lip. Her parents…

Ezra comes back, "Speaking of ops, I have to go. My cell leaves in five." He gives D a high five. "Come on, Chop." The C1 droid beeps some response that probably more rude than helpful. "Yeah, yeah, come on you bucket of bolts."

Leia looks down, the wheels of thought clearly turning.

D looks at her then throws her hands up into the air. "I don't wanna know."

* * *

Ezra stares at the girl in front of him. Of all the… What in the… He can't even… "And so you thought you'd stow away on our op to help?" Kanan asks, looking in desperate need of meditation or aspirin or a drink. Yeah, a strong drink might be need for this one.

"I'll admit it probably wasn't the most thought out plan…" The brunette cringes.

"And just who are you?" Kanan asks, rubbing his temple.

"Leia, her name's Leia." Ezra pinches the bridge of his knows. Kanan looks at him. Ezra says to Leia, "When I said experience is number one, I did not mean for you to stow aboard on our ship to get some!"

"How else was I supposed to get some? Besides, you said yourself that you were younger than me when you started." She smirks.

"I had other skills besides being an okay shot. The ops I started with involved sneaking and stealing." Ezra states, putting his hands together, clearly trying to stay calm.

"So is this one." Leia points out.

Ezra groans, she has him there. "Look, Leia, I don't think, who ever your parents are, they would approve of you being out here."

"You're out here. What about your parents?" Leia asks. Ezra darkens. Leia tilts her head, as if sensing the change in mood.

Hera seemed to sense it, too. Though that may have been more of knowing Ezra than anything else. "It's to late to turn back now. And I have a sinking suspicion that if we leave you on the ship during the mission, you'd sneak off." Leia says nothing, knowing she is already in trouble. "We'll make do." Hera says. Leia hates how Hera makes it sound like she's a liability.

The crew grumbles as they disperse. Leia sighs. A hand touches her shoulder. Leia turns to Ezra. His shoulder length hair is down and as much as it pains Leia to admit, his hair is very nice. So are his eyes. Though, she thinks they would look better if they didn't have a judging and annoyed look in them. He holds up and elastic hair tie. "You're going to want to put you hair up."

"I hate putting my hair up. People always pulls and it hurts." Leia grumbles, then realizes she sounds spoiled. She really has been acting spoiled in front of him. No wonder he has been acting that way. "Sorry."

Ezra shrugs, "Then, why don't you do it?"

"I… I don't know how… My aunts always shove and pull me trying to make me a dress up doll." Leia admits with a sigh. She doesn't sound spoiled, just tired and resigned. "I hate it."

"Then, learn to do it yourself. Take control." Ezra shrugs. Leia is surprised that she doesn't hear any judgment in his voice this time. "All the same, your hair does actually need to be pulled back. It will keep it out of the way. The reason you missed those one or two pinecones in our shoot out was that your hair was falling into you face." Leia looks at the elastic. "I can do it if you want."

Leia sighs, "Thank you."

"No problem." Ezra gestures to the crate. Leia sits down. "My skill at hair-dos is limited. So, I hope you don't mind a French braid."

"That'd be perfect." Leia smiles. Ezra begins, quickly and gently. "How did you learn to braid hair?"

Ezra pauses for a moment. "I…There was a girl in my class. My best friend… She always wore her hair in French braids. I'd help her rebraid it when it fell out at school. Which it did everyday. School had a stupid dress code. And we were delinquents enough, without her hair breaking the rules. Sometimes she would get so fed up that she wanted to cut off a braid just to cause a stink." Ezra smiles at the memory. He doesn't know why he uses the past tense. Sonya is still very much alive. But…

Leia notices the past tense, but knows the feeling of a sensitive subject, "I did do that." Ezra raises an eyebrow. "I got so fed up with my aunts, that I chopped half my hair off. They kept putting my hair in stupid buns on the side of my head." Leia gestures with her hands to the side of her head. "I don't need earmuffs in middle of summer." Ezra laughs. "They made me where a wig until it grew back. And now they are trying to get me to focused on finding a husband."

"You are kidding, right?" Ezra raises an eyebrow. She is his age for crying out loud.

"I wish I was. I know they are trying to do what is best for me, but that's not what I want for my life." Leia says.

"What do you want?" Ezra asks.

Leia starts. No one has ever asked her that before. Even her father. Despite him teaching her all about the republic and encouraging her interests, she had to approach him about getting the involved with the rebellion. And then he was hesitant. No doubt worried for his daughter's safety. But, it was so… stifling.

So, what did she want? "I want to fight… Fight for those who can't fight for themselves."

Ezra pauses, amazed. "You are amazing…" Leia smiles at the complement, feeling like she actually earned it for once. "But, you know, there are many types of fighting. This isn't the only way. And there are place it can't fight/"

"I suppose so." Leia says, not entirely convinced.

* * *

For whatever reason, probably because in some way it was his fault, Kanan had decided to put Leia with Ezra. They pause at the corner of the street. Leia adjusted her hood, making sure it covered her face. "Should I feel insulted that the babysitter they stuck me with is my age?" Leia huffs.

"Well, at least you recognize that part of my assignment?" Ezra offers. Leia glares at him. The stromtroopers pass the compounds entrance and around a corner. "Come on. We've got ten minutes."

They rush to the door. "You wouldn't happen to-" Leia stops as she sees Ezra already has the panel apart and is cutting wires. The doors slides open. Ezra shoves the panel back on. "Impressive."

"Hardly. I didn't best my time." Ezra says, almost playfully, as he stands and they rush in. The door whooshes behind them. They run through the halls. Ezra's senses blare at him. He throws an arm out to stop Leia. But Leia's arm hits his chest at the same time as his hits her stomach. Wordlessly, they duck into the shadows. An officer walks out of the office. Ezra can feel Leia's heart hammering in her chest as he pushes them further into the shadows, but she hides it well.

The officer walks passed them. Ezra would have like to wait longer, but the supplies are going to be moved soon and Ezra needs to get the access codes to Sabine and Hera. And Kanan and Zeb can only stay in their hiding place for so long.

Ezra takes Leia's hand and meets her eyes, her warm reassuring eyes, and pulls her out of the shadows. They carefully sneak through the walls. A wonder pokes Ezra's head as they sneak. How did Leia know the officer was coming? He lets his sense roll over her. And stifles all the surprise he feels. Leia is natural good at suppressing it. She probably doesn't even realize she is doing it. But…

Leia is Force-sensitive. And, from what he is feeling in spite of the clear suppression, she is very strong. She could be an incredible Jedi if she could find a master. Or a powerful inquisitor or even a Sith if she is vulnerable.

"Is that it?" Leia asks, pointing to the door in front of them.

Ezra nods, holding up his finger, signaling her to be quiet. They sneak in. Leia locks the door behind them. "As soon as I unlock the gates, the alarm will go off."

"Plans for getting out of here?" Leia asks.

"The vents." Ezra says, finding the password to the computer under a decorative weight. Imps are dumb.

"Uh, can you fit in there?" Leia eyeballs it, suspiciously.

"I've been crawling through vents since I was seven." Ezra starts downloading. He tosses Leia a screwdriver. "Undo the screws and get in."

Leia rolls her eyes, but stifles any sarcastic comment. Leia climbs into the vent. The gates unlock. The alarm goes off. Ezra sprints to the vent. He crawls in. He can fit in but there isn't enough room to crawl. "Karablast." Ezra spits out. It finally happened. He is too big to fit into the standard imperial vent. Okay, these are slightly smaller, being in a less important facility, but still…

"Ezra?" Leia asks, worry lacing her voice. Ezra slides back.

"You have that cable we gave you, right?"

"Yes." Leia says, nervously.

"I can't fit! Make a left after tenth vent split, three time, then crawl to the right until you hit a shaft that goes straight up. Use your cable to scale it. You'll be on the roof. Make your way to the _Ghost_." Ezra tells her. "Go!"

Leia nods. If she got caught, then her father could be accused for rebel activity. How could she have been so reckless? She knows better than this. She just wanted to prove herself more than the pretty face her aunts want her to be. This didn't help her case…

Ezra looks at the door. Troopers are already trying to hack the lock. Ezra presses himself onto the wall next to the door. The troopers rush in, passed Ezra. Ezra rush out, shooting the lock as he leave. The door closes and locks behind him.

He sprints down the halls, making jagged turns when he spots a bunch of troopers and still trying to make his way to the exit. Then, he sees something that makes his blood runs cold, a left turn.

Troopers appear in front of him. He dashes down the left hallway, not all that grateful that it is there. If his internal map were correct, it wouldn't be there. If his internal map were correct, he would know how to get to the exit. If his internal map were correct, he wouldn't have any chance of running into to a dead end.

But it isn't.

He is lost in a high alert military building. Karablast.

Ezra runs down a hall and swears. Dead end. He spins around. But it is to late two squads have narrowed in on him. He feels the Force curl around him ready to protect him if called upon. But that's is his last resort. There is always consequences now. None the least of which is that it allows the Empire to track their specific cell.

Ezra feels the Force tremble a bit. He hears a metal vent open. He looks up and sees a hand and blaster extend out. The blaster fires at some of the troopers. Ezra hits the others. Leia drops down.

"You do realize these ops require you to follow order." Ezra says.

"Then, how did you get assigned?" Leia snaps back.

"Adjust you hood." Ezra orders. Leia does so immediately. The two race through the halls, shooting at any troopers that come by.

Until Leia's blaster fails. Ezra doesn't falter covering her. "I'm out of ammo." Leia says, holstering her blaster.

"I think we're almost out." Ezra says. And for once he was right. Three more turns and they burst on to the street and rush into an alleyway. They both gasp for air in the shadows. Both look at each before bursting into breathless laughs.

Ezra grabs a manhole cover. "Get in." Leia cringes. "Exactly. People don't look anywhere that requires more effort than the minimum. Especially, if it disgusts them." Leia nods, trusting his instinct and climbing in. Ezra slips in and closes the cover behind him.

* * *

Ezra was willing to admit when he was wrong. Leia was still a spoiled brat but she was a fun spoiled brat. And she would be a good ally should her parents ever let her play an active role. But her real skill is in negotiation, even with that passionate temper of hers. She even stopped Zeb and Chopper from arguing. Ezra was too slack jawed to remember that Leia snuck aboard. So, he was startled when they exited into the hanger bay.

Bail Organa was standing there looking furious. Ahsoka was also there, but standing a good few feet back, not needing the Force to tell danger is near.

Leia gulps down her nerves and steps forward, "This whole thing was my idea. They didn't know I was on board until we had just about to arrive."

"And just how did they not notice you were on board." Organa says more than asks.

"I not entirely sure." Kanan admits.

"She is a natural at camouflaging herself." Ezra states, bringing attention to himself. Organa glares down at him. Ezra gets the distinct feeling he should not mention Leia's Force sensitivity just yet. "She kept her face covered completely without it looking unnatural. And she was quiet good on mission too. I honestly wouldn't be here without her."

"Enough." Organa orders. Ezra backs down. "Leia, do you realize the risk you have taken? Of all the reckless things you could have done!"

Leia looks down, "I know. It will not happen again… Father."

Ezra's jaw drops. Princess is a princess. Oh great, they aren't just dealing with an angry superior. They are dealing with an over protective father. He rubs his temple as he remembers the story of the mosquito landing on Sonya's arm as a baby. Apparently, his father wanted to murder the poor bug in the slowest most painful way possible for dare landing on his little girl. They are in deep sh-

"Go back to the ship, Leia. I will be there, momentarily." Organa says. Leia pauses but nods walking off. "Jarrus, Bridger, I wish to talk to you. Alone." Ezra doesn't hesitate to follow. Kanan follows after a moment.

They end up in an empty meeting room. Organa turns to them. "I expect you to remain quiet about Leia's… gift. Not even your crew can know."

"What are you talking about?" Kanan shakes her head. Organa glares at him.

Ezra runs interference. "He probably hasn't realized it. I wasn't lying when I said Leia is good at camouflage. She naturally suppresses it. I doubt many could sense her without knowing."

"And yet you did." Organa says.

"Yeah, well, I have a natural attunement to the Living Force." Ezra admits.

"If you have no idea what I am talking about, then you should leave." Organa says.

"I will not lie to my master, Senator. Beyond that I don't think I can lie to him. Not about this." Ezra says quickly.

"What are you talking about?" Kanan asks.

Ezra looks to Organa, silently asking permission. Organa concedes with a nod, remembering the strength of a master-padawan bond. "Leia is Force sensitive. Like at least as much as me, if not more."

Kanan looks like he is about to choke. "Now, you can see why this cannot leave this room." Organa says.

"She could be an incredible Jedi." Ezra adds.

"No. Leia will not be trained." Organa says.

Ezra looks at him in disbelieve. "You are joking, right? She could be one of the greatest of the Jedi."

"And that will only draw the Empire's attention." Organa says unmoved.

"If they find out she is Force sensitive… That could happen whether she is trained or not." Ezra says.

Kanan clears his throat, "And take it from me, a Force sensitive cannot ignore the Force. I tried until this boy came into my life." He gestures to Ezra.

"You do not know anything about Leia. You don't know what they would do to her. You will not breath a word of this to Leia. And you will make no attempt to train her. Am I clear?" Organa says.

"I know what the Empire does to Force sensitive better than most." Ezra says, knowing he isn't going to win. But that doesn't change the fact that it should be Leia's decision, not her father's. "Senator, I do not agree with you. But, I will respect your decision."

Kanan nods, "Agreed."

"Thank you, Padawan, Knight." Organa softens. "You may go."

They turn to leave. Ezra pauses. "Senator… May I make a suggestion?"

"As long as it is not about Jedi training and my daughter." Organa sighs.

"Leia did this because she wanted to prove she is more than a pretty face. That she can help the Rebellion. Maybe show her more of what you do and… If possible, maybe introduce her Tamara DeLune. Show her that the fighting isn't just on the battle front."

Organa raises an eyebrow. He thought she knew that… But maybe seeing more than just him would help. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Oh," Ezra snaps his fingers. "Can you tell her if you do ever bring her back, I want a rematch?"

Organa raises an eye brow, but nods.

* * *

**Yeah, I know I am not going to make any friends by how I portrayed Leia. I hope Ezra wasn't to OoC. It was hard making him and Leia grate against each other, without them being so much of jerks to each other that they were OoC.**

**Fun Fact: I actually finished this chapter the Monday before A Princess on Lothal. It was a great episode. But I wish they showed more of a learning curve in. She had a bit. However, she really felt like the OT Leia. And I just didn't want that. She had it to much together I wanted her to goof up and learn from Ezra and have Ezra learn from her. In the actually show, they are currently both the youngest members of the rebellion and you saw others' doubts in them because their age, specifically with Ezra and Sato in Stealth Strike. But Leia was together, like she'd been doing this for years. And I don't buy the argument that her princess training would make her more mature or that she has been involved with the rebellion for a while. You do not put a thirteen year old in a rebellion unless there are very little options. And with Bail Organa being as over-protective as he was, I just don't see him letting her get involve any younger than fifteen. And he was over protective. It's the only reason I can think of as to why she wasn't trained to be a Jedi. He knew where Yoda was. He could have sent her to be trained. But I digress. I still loved the episode; it just wasn't what I expected. Though am I the only one annoyed by the fact Ezra seemed to change height when he was around Leia?**

**Writer's Corner: FandomAffairs. If you haven't checked out her retelling of Legacy, do it.**

**Thank You Time! Thank you Delta General42 for reviewing. It is great to hear from you, again. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thank you Jedi Jelsa777 for reviewing. You may have two wait two weeks to find out what happened to Talia. I may be releasing a story involving Maul, Ezra and a baby half-Twi'lek. Heh. Heh. Heh. Thank you Midnight Luna for reviewing. All death, gore, and violence has a purpose in this story. The teen died to demonstrate the harshness of the Taken community before Ezra. And to put in perspective the deadliness of Ezra's childhood. Thank you Paint for reviewing. This isn't Talia's trial, it's at test. There is a big difference.**

**Question Time: Do you want to see Leia's learn curve, as she became a leader of the rebellion?**


	40. Chapter 37: The Truths We Lie About

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Enjoy! I do not own Star Wars Rebels! Mouse for President! I apologize for errors, delays and long winded author's notes**.

* * *

"Ezra, what the kriff are you do?" Talia laughs strangely, cause if she doesn't... She doesn't know what else she can do. Cry? She's not even sure if she can cry at this point.

"Returning the favor." Ezra says, his blaster not leaving her.

"Ezra... No, you wouldn't..." Talia says, not sure if she believes that. She certainly deserves it. She ducks a blast aimed straight between her eyes. "A little close for comfort, Love." She duck and rolls away as three more blasts come at her.

"Not close enough!" He growls. "You left me! Didn't care that the trappers found me!" He takes a step as he re-aims.

"No, no, that didn't happened..." Talia scrambles through her memories as she dodges, but they slip away as she tries to grab on to them. She couldn't have... He's safe with his new family... That wouldn't happen if he was taken away by the trappers.

"Hands got me!" Ezra growls out.

Talia freezes. That could have happen... The obsession Hands gained for Ezra after Ezra escaped him, twice, is legendary among the taken community... And Ezra's ability to escape would have been exceedingly hampered.

Ezra's jumpsuit rips, revealing his chest. His chest is marked by the long scar that he got during his second encounter with Hands, the same encounter that cost her lekku... and red hand prints cover his body. Marks of touches... caresses...

"No... Ezra..." Talia says, her eyes stinging. She takes a step back in horror, then another. Her eyes are stuck on Ezra. She can't look away. She takes another step back. There is no floor.

* * *

"I thought the ride out was boring." Raff bemoans.

"Stay at alert." Grace scolds. "They could be out at any moment."

"Yeah, any moment. Be that moment be in two minutes or two hours." Raff rolls his eyes. "How can you just sit there?" He shouts to Sonya.

"Meditation." Mich rolls his eyes. "It makes time go by faster. And is essential to a trained Force user. Honestly, do ever you pay any attention?"

Sonya's eyes flutter open as she sighs, "Actually, I find meditation rather boring especially when I can't get into a proper meditation. Which I am really, really, unable to do right now... But I'd be happy to wait as long as possible."

"Why?" Raff asks.

Sonya groans, remembering how nosy he was as a kid. She pauses to think. "We are going up against a Jedi master. We cannot even beat a half trained padawan with some admittedly impressive skills. We just aren't ready. I'm not ready. Inquisitor are trained to handle knights. Not masters. And if a single inquisitor were able to defeat a master, then...

"I wouldn't have even brought you all out her if I had a choice. But, as an inquisitor, I am obligate to investigate. And had Offee found out I didn't... Had she found out who..." Sonya takes a deep breath. She can't fall apart. Not in front of them. She looks up at Chance. The look in his eyes. He can see right through her. He knows that isn't the truth. At least, not the whole truth.

Sonya sighs, stepping back into her cold character, "If it looks like we can't win, throw you weapons away. Jedi cannot harm unarmed opponents. It's not their way."

* * *

Talia groans, looking up at the dark cloudy sky. "Did anyone get the number of that speeder?" She mumbles sitting up. She's surrounded by the grasses of Lothal. Impossible... She was... she was... What was she doing?

She stands up, looking around. There was a fire little ways off, by a large rock. Another tribe? She stumbles forward, towards the fire.

It wasn't a rock. It's the Gale! Talia breaks into a run. "Orin! Aeries! Caleb! Rodi! Cloe! Zhu! Cely! Mzia! Yue! Collin! Parts!" She shouts as she approaches the edge of the camp. "Orin!" She looks around.

Her blood runs cold. Corpses. Her family is spread around her, as corpses. "No... Wake up!" She cradles Cloe in her arms. Blood stains her mouth and chin.

She hears a cough from behind her. She spins around and rushes to the sound. And some stupid sick part of her is relieved it is him. "Orin!" She pulls him into her arms.

Orin coughs, "You... You abandoned us... to the trappers... Why?"

"No... No... I didn't..." Talia says, her memories filter in as if they are being cherry picked for her to remember, "They were going to do anything to hurt me. I couldn't stay and let them hurt you all."

"Why should I believe someone... who doesn't think... It is worth the lose of water to cry for her dying 'loved' ones?" Orin says, harshly, before gasping.

"No... Orin... please, stay with me, Orin..." Talia caresses his cheek.

"Don't touch me..." Orin gasps. "You lost the right to touch me when you abandoned..." Orin doesn't finish his sentence. His eyes turn glassy and stare off into space.

"Orin? Orin!" Talia shakes him. Her eyes burn. "Orin!" Something wet hits his cheek. Talia touches the skin near her tearducts. There is water. She is crying?

She needs to set up their howling ash bushes... She'll need something to light the fire... In the Gale... Talia gently puts Orin down. She leans down to kiss him, but stops. She lost the right to touch him... She can't even kiss him good bye... All their kisses, a rare and magical treat for them, don't seem to be enough.

Her eyes are on fire again and her cheeks are wet.

She stands and enters the Gale.

* * *

Moana slowly opens her eyes as she comes out of meditation at the familiar presence. She looks around, wondering what the old grand master is doing here. She sees nothing but the bones of the past. "Wow, I really must be losing it."

"Losing it, you may be..." Moana jumps at his voice, just the same as it had been through out her life at the temple. An eternal constant she never thought she'd hear again. "But lose what, have you?"

"My mind, clearly. There is no way to speak through the Force..." Moana says.

"Absolutes, there are not. Forgotten that much of your training, have you?" He says. Moana can here him smiling through his voice. "Know about the Force, much we do not. Many strange and wondrous things, there are."

Moana smiles, "Yes, Master Yoda. There are." And with that, for a moment, she returns to being a head strong teenage padawan.

"Hmm... Troubled, I sense you are." Yoda says, inquisitively.

"Yes, I suppose I am." Moana says. "I... After... After Order 66, I had a daughter. Master Yoda, she was so kind. She never once thought of herself. Her and her brother were both like that... Then the Empire came and took her away... Forced her down the dark side. Left my son on the streets... Master Yoda, I know there is still good in her. I feel it, along with her pain, her torture, her suffering."

"Fallen someone have, the dark side forever dominates their fates." Yoda says sagely.

Moana sighs, before catching something in what he said. "Dominate? That does not mean that they cannot return to the light side. For even if the return to the light side, their past will still define their actions in the present."

"Hmm... Interesting, young one. Interesting." Yoda chuckles. "Great fears, your son has." Moana starts a little at Yoda already knowing her son. "As does your padawan."

Moana nods, "Yes, yes they do. The world has been exceedingly unkind to them. I can scarcely imagine what they've gone through..."

"Want to, do you?" Yoda asks. Moana is quiet. "Honest, of this you must be."

"No, no I don't. I don't understand how the world can be so cruel to children and I don't want to." Moana admits. "I can't not feel like I was taught to. And I can't pretend my feelings don't exist either."

"Feeling being, we are." Yoda says, contently, "Feel, what do you now?"

"Tired, stressed, lonel-" Moana stops at the word "Lonely". She hasn't felt lonely in a while. "Not lonely, not since Talia became my padawan... I want to help her be the best she can be. She's rough, and afraid. But, she is able to have a heart, in spite of all that. Maybe even because of that. She is able to laugh. She is able to scowl. She is able to shoulder others who are weary. I want to see what she grows into."

Moana feels Yoda's presence leave her.

* * *

Talia is on her master's ship. It is dark. She looks around. There are voices coming from the cockpit. She approaches, cautiously. "So, you think she'll make it?" An unfamiliar voice says.

"Who knows." Her teacher's voice responds. "One less burden on me if she doesn't." Talia looks through the crack in the door. There is her teacher talking to some ethereal looking blonde woman, who deserves to be called a padawan. Not some street urchin like herself.

"Why did you even agree to train her?" The blonde woman asks.

"I pitied her." Her teacher answers. They are talking about her. Her teacher viewed her as a pity case! Talia has never accepted pity before. How did she miss her master's pity? "Never dreamed she'd actually get it into her head she could be a Jedi." Talia's chest burns. She takes a step back. Something hard brushes against her cheek. She reaches up and feels it. The string of cheap plastic beads attached to her helmet just behind her right cone. Her teacher had said that had it been made in the Republic the beads would have been made from some nice nuts or shells. She said it with a hint of an apologetic tone, as if Talia deserved better. Talia hadn't cared, though.

She rarely wears it, as it is a physical marker saying padawan. But she had had a desire, before they left, to wear it. After all, she was going to get her crystal. It only seemed right.

And lately, she has been wearing it far more often. Whenever she is on the ship. Ever since... That Day! Moana had saved her from the dart. That wasn't pity. That was genuine concern. This... Her teacher would never say this sort of stuff! "This isn't real! This isn't real!" She shouts. Then, with a startled cry, she falls back.

"Oww..." She grumbles, rubbing her head as she sits up. She is back at the temple. "That's right. I am at the temple. None of it was real... or was the thing with Ezra real..." Talia stumbles through her memories, trying to sort the real and the not.

A figure steps through the right door. Talia stares at the angry hate filled blue eyes. "No way out. Ready for retribution?"

"No, this isn't real. Ezra wouldn't do this." Talia stands up.

"You're lying to yourself. What? Afraid to die? Afraid to face what you have coming?" Ezra says, holding up the blaster.

"No, you are not him. Afraid of being thought of as less? No Kriff. Afraid of letting my master down? Absolute-kriffing-ly. To die? Haven't been afraid of that since I was four." Talia stands straight up. Ezra holds the blaster inches from her forehead. "I am not afraid." Talia closes her eyes and waits. It's not Ezra.

A moment passes and the feeling of the temple changes. Talia opens her eyes. She is alone. She sighs. What now? Trust in the Force. She should have been doing that since the very beginning.

She opens herself up to the Force like she does when she does her archery now. Glowing orbs gather above her. She feels something... Someone... "Great fears you have faced..." The voice says, coming from the orbs.

"Yes..." Talia agrees. "Great many more I still have to face..."

"Indeed. Come, you must." The voice chuckles.

"Who are you?" Talia asks.

"A guide." The voice says. Talia nods, closing her eyes to listen to the Force. Left.

Talia follows the orbs into the left room. Instead of a vision, she is greeted by a dark room, the only light coming from the orbs.

"Why must you be a Jedi?" The guide asks.

"I..." Talia starts before 's the million dollar question, isn't it? She is quiet for along time. She feels no impatience from the guide, for which she is grateful. In all honesty, this question is more important to her than the guide. She comes back to the same reason over and over again... And she doesn't like it. "To be someone greater than I am..."

"Oh, so being a Jedi is about being great? Better than others?" The guide asks.

"No!" Talia says harshly. "I am a street urchin. I want to be better than I am."

"So street urchins are worth nothing, hmm?" The guide asks.

"No, they are worth just as much as anyone else." Talia says. "All my life, I've hidden in the shadows because everyone believed that lie. I want to help those who the galaxy forgot... Like me... I know how it is to be forgotten, to be meek, cold, and hungry... For someone to hold power over you... And I know how it feels to help them..."

"And how does it make you feel?" The guide asks.

"Like I am doing something worthwhile... Something that makes me feel alive... Even when I am surrounded by death." Talia admits.

The guide hums in contentment "A Jedi, you may yet be..." Stars surround her like her vision, as the orbs vanish. Two stars, two crystals, float down to her. She catches the two yellow crystal, smiling gently. She tucks them securely away, before heading out, a lightness in her steps.

* * *

Chance sits down next to Sonya. They have been there for an hour and a half. Nothing but waiting. So it isn't surprising to the others he'd go and talk to her. And quite frankly, he has something he needed to ask her.

"What is it?" Sonya asks in a low whisper, sensing him. "It's the part about who, isn't it?"

Chance shakes his head, "No, tell me that when you are ready. It something else you said, though."

"Alright," Sonya doesn't look at him. She just stares at the temple.

"What happens to the inquisitor if they defeat a Jedi master?" Chance asks, looking at the beautiful girl next to him.

Sonya sighs, "It's all about power. If an inquisitor beats one, then they have grown too powerful. The dark side, at least those with in the empire, do have structure. The Sith are at the top. They control both the inquisitors and the... Well, let's just say there is another group and I shouldn't even be telling you that. If I had to rank them, I'd put the inquisitors at the bottom. As the other group is both more exclusive, stronger, and more controlled. To the point, they have a mental link, a Force bond, to their master.

"Inquisitors don't have that. If an inquisitor gains to much power, then they is a possibility they will become a threat to the Sith, as there can only be two. If an inquisitor gets to powerful, they are killed before they become anymore of a threat."

Sonya is surprised when Chance squeezes her hand.

* * *

The door slides open. Her teacher smiles in relief. Talia returns the smile. "So, how did it go?" Her teacher asks.

"Ever feel like the world is spinning around in so much chaos that there seems to have an order or harmony to it that you will never know or understand and that's okay. I feel like that." Talia smiles.

Her teacher chuckles, slightly, "I know exactly how you feel."

"I'd also dissuade anyone from trying to get a crystal there. It's... It's intense." Talia says.

"Good to know." Her teacher nods, but Talia senses something else.

"Is everything alright?" Talia asks

Her teacher looks to the outside door. "There is an inquisitor or an inquisitor in training out there. And she has seven others with her. They aren't Force sensitive, though." Talia senses that she is lying... or not telling the whole story. "Talia, I want you to run to the bikes and get out of here as soon as the door opens."

"But, Teacher-" Talia starts, but her teacher cuts her off.

"But nothing. Talia, I know you are good in a fight. But you do not have your bow with you. And they have blasters and lightsabers. I can handle stormtroopers and inquisitor, easily. But I need you out of the way."

Talia sighs, "Alright. And Teacher, be safe."

Her Teacher nods. They open the door.

* * *

Sonya releases Chance's hand, and jumps up. "Everyone up, NOW! They are coming out. Keep your blasts on stun" Everyone springs up.

Chance's jaw drops as the mountain rises up. "Uh, is anyone else seeing this?" Torence asks.

"Seeing, working on the believing bit." Raff says. The door way clears and a human female and female twi'lek exit. Chance recognizes her as the Jedi now known as Moana, a Jedi consular, who specializes in... jer'kai, if he remembers correctly. The twi'lek was a street urchin before becoming a padawan. He feels a small sense of pity towards her. She had been force by circumstance to turn against the Empire. Hopefully, she'll see sense.

The padawan sprints away, spring boarding over Sven and Torence and behind a series of rocks. She drives a bike out from behinds the rocks. She spins the bike in a series of donuts that knock into Natalie Fisher, Grace Long, and Torence. The three hit the ground hard, hard enough to knock them out.

Sonya would have thought it was brilliant driving had she not sensed the panic in the padawan's Force signature. Apparently, it was just unbridled chaos.

Sonya looks to the master. She is looking straight at her. Rong aims his blaster at the seemingly distracted woman. He fires. In one swift movement, the master turns on her lightsaber and deflects the blasts back at him.

Sonya groans as Rong falls to the ground, stunned. The master doesn't look away from her. Duff looks worried between Sonya, Rong and the master. The master waves her hand, "Sleep."

"Slee..." Duff falls to the ground.

The master pauses, glancing quickly at the boy then back to Sonya, "Was the Raff Duff?"

"Yes." Sonya says, stepping in front of Chance.

"But, you hated him as a child." The woman says. Chance jumps. How did she know that? Sonya hasn't even confirmed that to him.

"That is irrelevant. He is... He gets the job done." Sonya say. Chance wonders why Sonya hasn't even drawn her lightsabers, yet.

"And whose this?" The woman asks. She looks at him, sadly. This woman's blue eyes are familiar to him.

"No one of your concern." Sonya says as her throat tightens.

"He's someone special to you. Very special." The woman notes. Sonya tenses. The woman smiles. "Don't worry, I only sensed it because... well... the past."

"The past is the past." Sonya says.

"True, but... Are we really going to have to play this game, Sunny? Please, just come home." The woman begs. Chance's jaw drops. How did she know...

"There is no home left..." Sonya says.

"There is always home, where ever there is family." The woman argues.

"Can you really... It is my fault your husband died. How can you not hate me?" Sonya squeezes her eyes shut.

"It wasn't your fault. At all." The woman says, shaking her head. Her voice is thick with sorrow. Sonya doesn't believe her. "Please. Sunny."

"I couldn't even if I wanted to." Sonya says, gesturing to the collar around her neck. "This collar will kill me if I try to run. And I have no idea what the locking mechanism looks like." Sonya looks down. "Please... Just get out of here. Go! Before I do what I have to do."

The woman holds out her hand. "This isn't over. Not by a long shot." The woman grabs her bike and, with one last look to Sonya, drives away.

Sonya watches her ride away, tears threaten to come to her eyes. "Chance..."

"Yeah..." Chance snaps out of his confused state. Sonya looks horrible, like her world is coming down.

"Hold me..." She request so quietly that the breeze is louder. But, Chance does hear. He wraps his arms gently around her and guides her down to the ground. Sonya sit in his lap, curled into his chest. Sonya struggles with her thoughts. She knows she needs to check on the others. But... Her mind swirls. Everything she thought about... that woman... was wrong. And it both hurts and sends her flying.

She leans further into Chance's arms.

* * *

**Thank You Time! Thank you poseidonschild721 for favoriting and following. Thank you Jedi Jelsa777 for reviewing. We'll be seeing some of a learning curve. She is definitely going to be shadowing higher ups. In the show, I think they hit a wall in how do we portray her as a child and still as Leia. Cause people would have killed them if they messed with her character. So, in the end they sided with there lives. Not sure I agree with that decision but understandable. Thank you Midnight Luna for reviewing. Oh, heaven help me. Now Fangirl is acting insane. To quote Threepio, we're doomed. And yes Leia is about two days younger than Ezra meaning they are the same age. You've been saying "If you're done flirting" for the last three years? How? This story just had it's first birthday? You want to cry on me go ahead. Was your show fun? Thank you Paint the Fangirling UniWolf for reviewing. Glad you liked it. I was worried. When I first wrote it, they seemed so bratty. I will say this stupid fights are my weakness.**

**As for the possible new story, it is coming. I just need to finish the cover art.**

**Question Time: Are you excited about a story involving Maul, Ezra and a half-twi'lek after the end of Return of the Jedi?**


	41. Chapter 38: The Healer

**Three. Two. One.**

**_Happy Birthday to you._**

**_Happy Birthday to you._**

**_Happy Birthday, Dear Midnight Luna._**

**_Happy Birthday to you._**

**I hope your birthweek was great. And now on to the disclaimer. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! HAIL TO THE MOUSE!**** I apologize for errors, delays, and long-winded author's note.**

* * *

"Your sister is a blasted piece of work." Zeb growls, as he ducks behind a rock. This world would have been a great place to go camping, beautiful forest, sparkling river, amazing views from dazzlingly high cliffs, if the Empire hadn't banned entry on it for weapons testing. Any more explanation as to why they are there needed?

Suffice to say attacking a weapons plant is difficult at best. It is made even worse when Sonya and her buckethead's that can kriffing shoot, probably do to the lack of helmets, come out of nowhere.

"I know…" Ezra cringes.

Kanan ducks next to him, then yells into his comm, "Specter 2, we need an evac. NOW!" Ezra cringes, again. They failed to get and/or destroy the new walker plans. And now they are pinned behind a rock and a sheer cliff, with Sonya's team closing in.

Sabine ducks next to them. "Your sister's-"

"A piece of work, I know." Ezra growls, sitting up and nailing the red hair trooper between the eyes.

"Dammit, Chance!" Sonya says.

"I was going to say a skilled commander." Sabine says.

The _Ghost_ swoops down, putting Sonya's team on the defense. Sonya jumps out in front, spinning and turning, deflecting Chopper's blasts back at the _Ghost_ and to the ground. The _Ghost_ hovers just over the edge of the cliff where they had been pinned. The ramp goes down.

"Go!" Kanan orders. Zeb jumps on. Then, Sabine. After a glance, Ezra jumps in. Kanan stands, readying to jump. The Force blares at him. Kanan dodges, but not fast enough.

Pain bites into his side. Kanan staggers. Nothing catches his foot. "Kanan!" Ezra sends out his hand and the Force. He catches Kanan. Sweat beads on his forehead as he strains to remember that size doesn't matter in the Force. It can't matter.

He holds Kanan, bringing him up to the ship. Pain erupts in his side. His concentration is lost. Ezra collapses to the floor of the ship. Zeb and Sabine rush to his side.

The _Ghost_ shakes from Tie fighters' blast. Hera closes the ramp, not knowing Kanan isn't on board.

Ezra stares down into the raging river in the cavern below as the ramp closes. "Kanan…"

The _Ghost _flies away. Sonya rushes to the ravine closing her eyes as if sensing or trying to sense something.

A groan comes from behind her. She starts, then runs back to Chance. Chance groans as he sits up. Sonya looks into his eyes, check them for dilation and other signs of a concussion. When she sees none, she groans. "With these people as my witnesses, you will learn to dodge."

"Yeah right," Duff rolls his eyes.

Sonya sighs, standing. She holds out her hand. Chance takes it and she pulls him up. "Long, Rong," Both turn to attention. "Good shots. Everyone, head back to the base. I will continue searching for the Jedi."

"He couldn't have survived that, could he?" Torence asks.

"There is always a least a grain of truth in any legend." Sonya says, sounding utterly sage-like.

"Then we should come with you." Fisher says.

"I'll be quicker on my own on these hills. And you are all tired." Sonya says. "You have your orders." Sven steps up to her and silently hands her the field kit. Sonya gives him a nod, sliding on the backpack.

"Yes, Ma'am." They chorus and turn to head back. Chance gives her one last look. She smiles at him, silently telling him that she will be fine. He nods, turning back and following his team.

Sonya walks over to the edge. She dives over the edge, flipping and catching a ledge. She uses it to flip to another ledge and another and another.

* * *

_Fifteen-year-old Sonya practices her form again and again. Sweat drips from her forehead but she dare not stop. Her head throbs as if she took a hit to the head, but she hasn't taken a hit to the head in over a year. Her white dress and light grey tights drag a little from the sweat. She focuses on lifting her dark grey boots off the floor in just the right way. She will amaze her master when he gets back. Soon. The thought brings a thin shred of joy to her otherwise misery-induced life. They, the inquisitors that were teaching, have gotten harder since Dhara's escape and once he comes back she'd be free of this infernal place, free to travel under his wing. There won't be much more freedom but Offee can't order her to do anythin-_

_ Heat fills her as pressure waves toss about her mind, knocking back and forth with concussive affect. Her nose fills with smoke and her taste fills with something she has never tasted but knows through the most primal of instincts, Death. Her honed ability to control herself peters out as the pain feels like an explosion has gone off in her head. An ear-piercing scream echoes through her ear, unaware that it is her own. And she sees one image as she squeezes her eyes closed. A man in green holding two blue lightsabers. Kanan Jarrus. Her first vision from the Force that is more than a slippery concoction made on the edge of sleep._

_ She opens her eyes and closes them immediately. The lights of the training room never seemed so bright… Why is she looking up? She doesn't feel like she's looking up. Why is she pressed against the wall… She's not…_

_ Sonya groans as she sits up, rubbing her head from the pain not caused by her Force bond shattering. She looks at the clock. Five hours have passed. She's missed dinner. So, no food until tomorrow at 0700. Lovely._

_ She stands, unsteadily. Some other trainees roll their eyes at her. She sends them an icy glare that silences their thoughts and fills their veins with icy fear. Sonya turns without a word. They aren't important. She must inform the other inquisitors. She will get her revenge. She will torture him until he begs for death, and then she will present him to her superiors and take her place as an inquisitor. And she knows just where to start. Return the pain he has caused her._

* * *

Sonya looks down at the man, more banta herder of the outer rimm than Jedi. She ignites her lightsaber. Kill him, her master whispers in her ears. Though, he needs not. This nerfherder stole him from her. Killed him. Why should he get to live happily when the only person who meant something to her for those long eight years is dead, with not even his body exists for her to bury. The bantha herder groans, "Ezra…"

Sonya freezes. Rong had nailed Ezra badly…. The bantha herder can no doubt sense it. After all, Sonya has yet to forget the pain she felt through Force when…

"Kriff it." Sonya glares murderously at Kanan Jarrus.

* * *

_The little black haired boy trips as he and his sister run home from school. It is the first day their parents are letting them walk the ten blocks home alone. If it were anywhere close to dinner or sunset their parents would never let them. But, ever since their father had that hiss fit about their school's disciplinary action, they had been pulled out of the after school program. And with both parents busy, they had to walk themselves home._

_ His sister kneels down next to him. "You okay, Ebby?"_

_ "I'm fine," Ebby smiles, getting up. He stands, then cringes as his knee bends. He rolls up his pant leg, to see blood flowing from a scrap. She pulls him to the side of the sidewalk tucking next to the corner of a fruit stand. Sunny kneels down. Ezra realizes what she is doing. "No, Sunny, not out in the open!"_

_ "No ones looking, but they will if you make a fuss." Sonya says, knowingly. Ezra grunts. Sonya holds out her hand over the wound, barely not touching it and reaches out with the thing within her… or is it out of her? It follows and waxes and wans and dances around her. She tastes blood and smells lavanda. Slowly, as her energy, her being, flows to her hand and into the wound. The taste changes to that of dirt. The scent of fresh grasses they play to that of the lavanda._

_ Sonya lifts her hand once the taste of blood vanishes completely. The scrap is gone._

_ "That was dangerous." Ezra says in Mando'a in a voice that sounds as if he is talking about something cheery. But Sunny knows he isn't happy at all. "If someone saw-"_

_ "No one sees what they don't want to." Sunny says, responds in Mando'a sounding equally cheery. "Mom and Dad don't even know."_

_ "I wouldn't be so sure about that." Ebby says._

_ "What's that suppose to mean?" Sonya snips back._

_ "Mom knows everything." Ebby says. "Even if we don't tell them about these things we can do. I think they know."_

_ "Stop worrying, Ebby." Sunny pats his back. "No one saw." Ebby drops it for now knowing he can't stop his sister from healing._

* * *

Kanan Jarrus breathes slowly as he wakes. His body aches all over, but in his line of work that raises no alarms. His bedroll is normally softer than this, though. A small hand wipes his head with a damp cloth. Wonderful, Hera is going to give him an earful later. Wait a minute! That hand is two small to be Hera's and her callouses are in the wrong places. His hand snatches the woman's wrist as his eyes snap open. His arm blares in pain. He ignores it. Not a woman, a girl.

Sonya looks down at him, a frown etched on her face. He is painfully aware of how exposed he is.

He struggles up, trying to locate his lightsaber. "I am unarmed." Sonya says, pushing him down with surprising gentleness. "And you need to lie down. Nature is the ultimate heavyweight."  
Kanan looks around for his lightsaber franticly, not trusting her.

"Look next to you, Di'kut" Sonya rolls her eyes. Kanan looks next to him. His lightsaber is sitting next to Sonya's, in between him and the rock. Sonya would have to go over him to get her weapons. "Now, stop moving around so much. Before you reopen your head wound."

Kanan glares at her, full of distrust. He glances around, taking inventory of his surrounding. He is in a stone enclave covered in a tarp. His head feels like its spinning. The only light is a small light disk normally contained in camping kits. But even that feels like too much light.

Sonya drops the rag into a bowl, then shifts through the medical supplies. "How is… your padawan?" Kanan doesn't remove his eyes from her.

Sonya sighs at the lack of response, "I can't imagine he's told you who I am…"

"You're Sonya Bridger, Ezra's sister." Kanan says, clearly.

Sonya's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Or apparently you do know. Though, I haven't gone by Bridger for years."

He eyes her, distrust not waning. Sonya sighs,"Just talk to me. You have a concussion and while it is a myth that you have to stay awake, I'd rather you were awake so I could monitor your cognitive abilities."

Kanan raises a surprised eyebrow. An inquisitor knowing medical practices?

"Clearly, my brother didn't mention enough about me." Sonya sighs, thinking back to her childhood. "Besides life as an inquisitor is hard, and normally no one looks after you." She squeezes her arms as if holding herself together. Kanan stares at the Ezra-like gesture. He shouldn't be surprised, but sometimes, a lot of the time, it so hard to picture her as Ezra's sibling. They are so different.

"And you took the only one who was kind to me…" Sonya says, releasing her arms with an angry breath.

"What are you talking about?" Kanan asks, confused.

"My master!" Sonya shouts at him. "You killed him on the_ Soveriegn_!"

"The Inquisitor… I doubt he could care for anyone…" Kanan says. Probably not the smartest thing he could have said. He blames the concussion.

"HE CARED FOR ME! AS MUCH AS HE COULD!" Sonya shouts in his face, a gasp runs through her form as she realizes she lost control. She tries to sling up her barriers, but is only partially successful. Kanan is struck by how young she is. She breathes again, reigning in all her emotion. "My master… Ka'un… cared about me, my snark, my spirit…. They kept us in a space station… I don't even know where… I didn't get to see grass or breath fresh air or anything for years… Yet, after I became his apprentice, he would bring me back a stem of lavanda every single time he went on assignment… They are my favorite flower… And he brought me with him on mission, bending more than a few rules to do so… How is that not caring for someone?"

Kanan looks away a minute. "I didn't kill him…"

"He jumped, I know…" Sonya says, admitting it to herself as much as Kanan. It is just so easy to blame. "I felt it…"

"Impossible…" Kanan says. "How could you have possibly felt it?"

"You once had a master, too…" Sonya answers after a moment.

"Yes, but we were-" He starts, but she interrupts.

"A Jedi and a padawan." She shakes her head. "It makes no difference. A training bond is a training bond, regardless of sides. You know what it is like to loose a master. You know what I went through." Sonya sighs, not really knowing what she is saying. But, maybe, she is saying it because it is true. He is the only one who can possibly understanding her pain, even if she can't fully understand his pain.

A hand squeezes her shoulder. She looks up at Kanan. He looks at her with pain that she knows. The pain of a training bond being shattered by death.

"I hate you. I hate you so much. But I can't even get vengeance… I can't put my brother through that." Sonya says. "I think your fine to get some rest. I'll get some fresh water." Sonya pulls away, picking up a bowl.

* * *

Sonya looks into the river's water. Her eyes, stained golden, stare up at her. She sighs. She's not the girl she once was. She's not the inquisitor she was supposed to have turned into. But, there was no room anywhere in between. Her lip trembles as she looks down.

And for a moment, she lets herself extend her being to connect to a long forgotten bond. The calming scent of lavanda comes through her nose and the taste of hot chocolate and the dirt of the playground they used to play in dances around her tongue. She basks in it.

After a few moments, a twinge trembles around her. He brushes her presences. She pulls away.

She closes her eyes. She lifts the field kit and flings it into the river.

* * *

Kanan slowly wakes up at the sound of ship engines. The first thing he realizes is he is alone. Where's Sonya? He groans as he sits up. He looks at the lightsabers. Sonya's lightsabers are gone. That can't be good. He grabs his lightsaber. He gets he struggles to the door of the tarp tent, lightsaber ready to engage. Something swings against his chest, wrapping around his neck. He glances down, acknowledging a small wooden pendant on his neck. But he has more important things to worry about.

His mind goes to immediately to Sonya had lied, a trap to capture him. He lifts the tarp door.

And nearly collapses in relief. Or is it because the pain in his side? The _Ghost_ has landed on the shores. Ezra runs out of the ship, cringing a little as his hand goes to his side. He smiles as soon as his eyes land on Kanan, though. "Kanan!"

Ezra runs to him, followed by Hera and Zeb. Ezra pauses upon getting closer to him, slight confusion etching on his face.

"What happened?" Hera asks, looking over the bandages.

"Sonya…." Ezra says, quietly. Everyone looks at him. Kanan stiffens.

"Yeah, I… She tended to my wounds." Kanan says, wondering how he knew.

Ezra wraps his arms around himself, "Yeah… that sounds like her… So much like her." Ezra sighs. "We should be get out of here… This is still an imperial planet…"

"And I'd like to take a look at those wounds, make sure they are bandaged properly." Hera says, clearly not trusting Sonya.

"They are." Ezra says, without thinking as he turns and heads into the ship. He should check on Kanan. He should stay by his master's side, especially with how worried he had been about his master. But… Sonya was good at healing and her time in the Empire wouldn't decrease the skill. If anything, with her mouth, she'd have more of a pension for especially nasty wounds and she'd have learned how to take care of them herself. It is so much like her. And the necklace…

It was almost as if she was…

Ezra found himself in the nose gun. He collapses into the chair. He doesn't know how long he sits there, but the familiar streams of hyperspace spatter across the window. He closes his eyes. He feels her. He feels her confusion and her pain. Her panic and her conflict. And then she withdraws from him. She's trying to…

He knows it is for the best. Bu,t he can't do it. He didn't think she could either, but could she?

He stiffens as he feels Kanan approach him. "Hey, you okay?"

"I should be asking you that." Ezra says.

Kanan walks up to him and hands him the necklace. "This is Sonya's, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Ezra cradles it in his hands, as if it were some royal jewel. "Mom made it for her for her seventh birthday and promised something, I don't know what. The only thing I didn't know about her. Mom said it is an ancient Jedi symbol for compassion…"

"It is. If you're curious, I'm sure Zara would love to talk your ears off about it." Kanan offers, weakly.

"It feels like she's saying goodbye…" Ezra admits. "That she is trying to forget our connection. And I know it is for the best that we both do. But, I can't do that."

Kanan squeezes his shoulder. "And you shouldn't. She's your sister."

"But she is an imperial. She is trying to kill us!" Ezra says, fighting back the tears.

"But your compassion and heart is what makes different from the inquisitors and the Empire." Kanan reassures him.

"But, Sonya isn't… wasn't…" Ezra says, unable to get the words out.

"No, she isn't. She is just a compassionate and has as much heart as you." Kanan admits, putting his hand on his shoulder. "Which is why she won't be able to. She loves you to much to be able to." Kanan takes the necklace and puts it on Ezra. "That's why she healed me. Because she cares about you."

"I… Thanks. Thank you, Kanan." Ezra smiles, sadly. "I should probably go… do stuff… Yeah…" Ezra gets up and walks off.

Kanan sighs. His padawan's pain isn't going to go away. It will probably always be there. And not just for him…

Kanan sits down and runs his hands through his hair. Sonya… She… would have been an amazing Jedi. Kind, compassionate, skilled and cool headed. In that, she really does seem like a young Depa Billaba. He couldn't put it any other way. He really wants to, though. He want to deny that she was anything related to good about her. But, life isn't black and white. And Sonya's and Ezra's lives and destinies are swirling around into a mess that no one can see through.

* * *

**Thank You Time! Thank you ARainDragon for review, favoriting and following. It really makes me feel exceedingly happy to hear that. Thank you! Thank you Midnight Luna for reviewing. If you like Ezra as Bucky, it is actually becoming a big thing done by several writers. Here's a link to the URL to some more:** /collections/winterblueberry **Just check out my new story, I Don't Blame You, the half-twi'lek story first. First chapters up and it will be updated next week. Thank you Jedi Jelsa for reviewing. Thank you Skypeoplephoenix732 for reviewing. What do you think about her moments in this chapter? Thank you Paint the Fangirling UniWolf for reviewing.**


	42. Chapter 39: The Inquisitor

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Yes, I know this is a short chapter. It was a very hard chapter to write. I don't like write emotional certain types of emotional conflict and this chapter fall under that banner. I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! ALL HAIL MICKEY MOUSE! I apologize for errors, delays, and long winded author's notes**.

* * *

To say Ezra is exhausted is like saying the Empire is a little controlling. But, it is a restless exhaustion. The type that comes from everything buzzes around you all at once and yet you can't do anything and feel like you need to be doing something. But most of all he needs to get away. He needs to be alone. He needs to be away from everyones' sympathy glances, which are some how just as annoying right now as the pity filled stares he faced on the street.

So he does the only thing he can do, go outside and just walks around. He walks farther than he has ever done before. Still, he keeps walking. He finds himself at lake. If he were on Lothal, he'd kick off his shoes and wade in ankle deep water, not daring to go much further than that. But given he got his feet burned on Dantoonie because of the acidic rain, he isn't going to take any chances on this new planet. The beach isn't sandy, instead filled with stones worn smooth by gentle waves. He picks a flat circular stone up, and tosses it in his hand. He sighs at about the last presence he wants to see right now. Well, second... Third... Actually, there are a lot of people he just doesn't want to deal with at any time. But, he still doesn't want to deal her. Or her snips.

"Hey," Princess Leia says, walking up behind him.

Ezra raises his eyebrow, "Your father actually let you come back here?"

"It seems he realized that he can't stop me from fighting the Empire. So, he is now having me shadow some of the rebellion's leaders and help him in the senate." Leia smiles, clearly pleased at being able to help.

Ezra would have been glad for her if his mind isn't a mine field that he to needs to be alone to get through, "Rewarded for reckless behavior..."

"Hey!" Leia glares at him.

"Sorry, today's not been... It's been confusing." Ezra sighs, "I always make a jerk of myself in front of you."

"Hey, it's refreshing at least." Leia smirks. "You should hear the suck ups in the Senate."

"I can only imagine." Ezra smiles a bit at the image in his head. "Power has always been honey to the bees of ambition." He flicks the stone across the water. It skips across the glassy surface three times, leaving a trail of ripples.

Leia lets out a single chuckle at the true statement, "Sadly, it seems like any senator, beside Mon Mothna and my father, with any desire to help the people died with Senator Amidala. The last, outside their circle, was probably Senator Binks of Naboo. Even as useless as Senator Binks was, he still always tried to help. But shortly after the Empire formed, his wife's people were declared a threat to the Empire. He resigned in protest. He had probably been wanting to to for a while." She flicks a stone, four skips.

"Binks... He was the fish like creature that was always tripping, right?" Ezra picks up another stone. It skips four times.

"Gungan, and yes." Leia skips a stone five times.

Ezra glares at the ripples, "Who was Senator Amidala?" He skips a stone five times.

"A senator from Naboo who fought to end the clone wars and a friend of my father's." Leia skips a stone six times.

"Oh, now your just trying to out do me." Ezra rolls his eyes, flicking a stone six times.

"Oh, please you need to keep up before I can out do you." Leia smirks. "If you actually were a challenge, then I face you head on. Running never does anything." Somehow they manage to lose the afternoon skipping stones and trading dry remarks.

* * *

Ezra's mind surfaces the ebbing and waxing waves of the Force, not directing it just letting it flow. His skin tingles but not unpleasantly. The objects not pinned down in his room orbit around him, as if he is a star. His mind etches closer to what Sonya had said for half a second. He is no longer floating on the currents of the Force. He is being pulled quickly, fast and faster. Scenes, never quite full, flash through his mind. The Force is trying to tell him something. He tries to focus to listen but the only thing that does is pierce his skull.

Sonya in a dark prison-like room staring at a coff-

That red haired stormtrooper resting his hand on the small of her-

Sunny, little Sunny, being grabbed by the green skinned inquisit-

Sonya holding something in a bundle as if it is precious.

Sonya screaming out in agony.

Lightsabers clash, red and blue light dance across the wall.

A desert planet with twin suns. Sonya gasping in surprise.

A little girl with red hair and green eyes.

She is sitting on a patio swing kicking her legs then running to a woman.

She is looking up at him, blue lightsaber in hand, smiling with pride.

Her eyes are yellow, she glares at him with hate filled eyes.

A moon, already cut in half, blowing up.

"Ezra!" A muffled voice calls.

The blonde from his visions of Han and Leia. He stares up a dark man while clinging to a pole for dear life. The boy hand stands next to a withered toad-like creature. The boy removing the dark man's mask. The boy stands next to a hooded figure, the dark man dead a their feet.

"Ezra!"

"Ezra!"

Ezra gasps out of his meditation. There is a loud clammer of noise. Hera's voice comes over the comm. "Gravity's back on." Ezra struggles to calm his breathing.

"We noticed." Zeb groans back

"Any idea what caused the gravity to go out?" Sabine calls back. Ezra notices hands on his shoulder. He looks up at a concerned Kanan.

"None, but I'll keep looking." Hera responds.

"You okay, Kid?" Kanan asks.

"Vision. Or Visions." Ezra shifts out of his meditative position.

"Want to talk about it?" Kanan asks

"I don't even know what is was. I... It jumped around too much." Ezra sighs.

"If you want to talk about it, I am here." Kanan reassures

"I know." Ezra smiles.

"Good, now I think you should go apologize to everyone for causing them to float around for half an hour."

"I did what?" Ezra's eyebrows jump up.

* * *

"Sunny!" Chance shakes her arm. She groans as she comes to. She sits up, rubbing her head. "You alright?"

"Yeah..." Sonya groans.

"What happened?" Chance glances around the training room as if to find the source of her collapse.

"It was just a..." Sonya pauses recalling the vision. Who was the girl? Who was the boy standing with Vader and the Emperor? "The Force trying to tell me something."

"What?" Chance ask,worried.

"Not a clue." Sonya admits, grabbing his helmet and handing it to him. He slings it under his arm and stands as Sonya stands. "Come, we are late for a meeting. And we must focus on capturing the Padawan and the Jedi." The Padawan. The Jedi. It is easier to think of them like that. They aren't her brother and his teacher.

"Don't you mean your brother?" Chance asks.

"No, I mean the Padawan." Sonya states, forcing the distance between her and her brother.

Chance grabs her wrist as she walks away. "What happened out there? You've been acting strange since then."

"The Padawan is the enemy of the empire. I must bring him in." She can't let what she did, happen again. When she was on her own that was one thing, she only had to worry about herself. But now...

"Sunny... You can lie to anyone on this ship. Kriff, you can lie to yourself. But you can't lie to me. Not anymore." Chance says, looking into her eyes.

Sonya's eyes narrow. "I am a giant purple mynock."

"And clearly, I know when you are lying." Chance rolls his eyes.

"Look, Chance," she huffs as she pulls herself from his grip. "I have a job to do. I can feel after this assignment is over. Until then, I can't let myself be compromised, as I have been doing since I met the Padawan. Now, I have a strategic lesson to give. You may meet me in the conference room, promptly." She walks out of the room.

Chance sighs, "But will you still be able to look at yourself when this assignment is over." He shoves on his helmet. He knows what she is doing. He does it to... He can pretend that his feelings stay behind his helmet. It never works for long, though. And it won't for her.

* * *

The plan went bad. It was something about getting some data disk from an admiral. That isn't a surprise. At this point it is an unspoken rule to be prepare to change the plan at the drop of a hat. This time, though, it is a little different. Oh, Sonya caused the plan go belly up. Well, her and the fact her willingness to blow up Imperial property rivals Sabine's. But it would be a lie to say Ezra didn't plan this as well. It has been in the works since he found out Sonya healed Kanan. Ezra also can't deny that he has beginning to doubt her. But that was so much his sister, that she couldn't not be there and she couldn't be fighting. If he helps her, gives her a way out, she''d take it. He knows she will. He won't run away anymore. He will face it head on.

So as he turns the corner to the hall where she is, he is ready to face her, ready to talk to her for once. She glares at him. "Sunny." Ezra says, calmingly.

She looks down, not meeting his eyes. "Padawan." Her voice is forced like she is holding herself at a distance, more so than normal. Ezra doesn't like how it comes off her tongue, void of all fondness. "You are under arrest for treason. Surrender and you may survive. Otherwise, I will be forced to destroy you!"

"You're joking, right?" Ezra raising an eyebrow in disbelieve. "You can do that. Too compassionate, remember?" Ezra tosses her necklace to her. Sonya catches it out of the air. She stares at it for a moment, looking like she's about to break.

Then she drops the necklace, an iciness takes over her features. "I don't know what your talking about."

She pulls out her lightsabers and ignites them, "Now! Surrender or die!"

"I'm not going to surrender and I am not going to fight you." Ezra says, not breaking eye contact.

"Then, young Padawan,you will die." Sonya says, springing forward. Green light fills the room as Ezra catches her strikes with his lightsabers.

"Sunny. Please." Ezra begs trying to break through her. All that hope, gone.

"Sunny! Stop!" Another strike.

"This isn't you!" Ezra ducks a strike.

"Sunny! Stop it! Sunny!" Ezra all but screams. He struggles to block each strike. She had been holding back before. Toying with him... Did she even care about him? Had it just been a joke to her?

"Sonya!" He shouts, a tear escaping from his right eye.

Sonya freezes, momentarily. That blow hurts more than she'd let herself believe. It is just as well. Ezra is shocked at himself, as he searches his memory for if he ever called her "Sonya". After all, it was always Sunny, never Sonya, to him. Just as it had always been Ebby, never Ezra, to her.

Sonya, in her hard icy act, recovers first. She swings her lightsaber. He doesn't have time to block.

A blast knocks her lightsaber out of her hand. Both their heads snap towards the origin of the shot. Ezra expects to see Sabine or Kanan. The blast definitely hadn't come from a bo-rifle. Instead, he sees a red-haired buckethead without a bucket. The betrayal radiating off Sonya is palpable. Ezra takes the opportunity to flee out a the window, failure and pain lacing and weaving through his Force signiture.

Sonya and Chance stare at each other. "What the kriff, Sorayu!" Sonya growls.

"You aren't thinking clearly, Captain." Chance says as calmly as he can.

"I am doing my job!" Sonya shouts, stepping forward. She steps on something. She glances down. Her necklace. She bends down, picking it up and immediately checking it over for damage. The edge is chipped a little on the top right corner but there is no more damage. That little chip shouldn't hurt her like it does. But it does none the less.

She turns to Chance. "You just committed treason, Sorayu." Sonya growls softly.

"Then arrest me. But, it I let you killed him you'd have regretted it for the rest of your life." Chance barks back.

"You over step your bounds, Trooper." Sonya growls, letting the necklace drop. Sonya storms away.

Chance bends down and picks up the necklace.

* * *

Ezra isn't quite sure which is more astonishing, the fact that it is Chopper who find him or the fact Chopper has been searching for him in the first place. He is too numb to process either facts. And everything really. Why would she- What-

All there is, is pain. And he knows he is affecting Kanan. Otherwise, it would have been Kanan hunched over trying to draw him out of the corner of the storage closet instead of Chopper. And Chopper's not doing a great job. That might be because his attempts so far have involve insults and tazers.

Chopper lets out a warble that is probably his equivalent of a sigh. Then a warble that sounds like an idea. He rolls back a few feet then projects something. A woman and a teenage girl dueling with lightsabers in the wreckage of a battlefield that had probably been locate in a city. Ezra tilts his head. The woman bares a bit of a resembles to his mom. Though it is hard to tell with the scale of the holo. "Good, Zara." The woman says.

"Miranda Akatsukin..." Ezra mumbles as he realizes it.

"Keep your arms up." Miranda says, as Zara ducks a strike.

"How are they doing?" A male voice asks. The holo changes to a clonetrooper, sitting down. "I never get tired of watching them." A warble of droid speak follows. "I do not have a crush on Miranda, you bucket of bolts." Even in the blue tint, Ezra can see the man blush.

"My parents would tell me and Sonya stories about them." Ezra says as tears run down his face. The two of them stay there for a long time, just watching holo. When the others do find them, Chopper beeps at them and threatens to taze them until they leave them alone.

* * *

Sonya slams her hilts into practice dummy. As much as she enjoys lightsaber combat, it did little to relieve her aggression that built up over the day. That and Offee remained unimpressed by her strategies and even threatened to end her experiment for her failings. Or worse transfer them to another Inquisitor. The others wouldn't know how to deal with a team. Her team would be dead in a week. All that left her feeling like bantha Poodoo.

Ezra's face appears on the dummy. Sonya's eyes widen as she alters course missing her target. "How did this even happen?" She falls against the dummy, to tired to even stand.

"You were weak. you let your emotions get the better of you." Her master's voice echoes from behind her. She spins around lashing out at the air he should have been in. "You really have become weak, since I died." His voice echoes behind her. She strikes without thinking, blades ignited.

"Shut Up! You kriffing imposter! You aren't even real!" Sonya shouts, striking anywhere and everywhere.

"Maybe I should have just killed you. You're not worth the trouble. You're not worth anything." His voices says again. She growls, swinging wildly. A mop of red hair ducks her blades.

Her body recognizes his hair before her mind does, turning off her lightsabers and crouching down to see his face. "Chance!" She says, looking into his eyes in a panic. Her heart stops hammering, slowly, as he smirks at her. Sonya senses the same relief as she did when she reported back to Offee. Did he really think she turn him it? It scared her so much that, given her previous state of mind, she could say she wouldn't have.

The realization hits her harder than any of Offee's thousands of beating's. She almost destroy two of the three things she hold most dear...

Chance chuckles, "See. I can dodge." Sonya head falls and she leans on to Chance's chest. Chance, surprised, wraps his arms around her. His armor is cold and hard and her tears roll off it like waterfalls.

It is white, the true color of death. Black is the color of rich top soil. The color of the clouds when rain saturate the world beneath it. It is the color of all the world's gunk and issues mixed together. Black is the color of life and rebirth. White though is the color of wood and shells bleached to death in sunlight. It is the color of dirt where nothing will grow. It is the color of a life not lived. Life can't live in white.

Under Chance's white shell is black. A chance for a real life. If she could let him go. She doesn't deserve him, but she isn't strong enough to let him go. She's tried.

And Ezra. She's tried to let him go, but...

Her tears come and come, never slowing pace.

As her mind clears she hears one of her master's lectures play in her ear barely above a whisper. "Your emotions are powerful things. Even if you deny them, they are still there. They still act. More even than if you acknowledge them. They cloud you mind with doubts and fears, pulling the strings you don't even know you have. Acknowledge, grieve, and move on."

She, in denying her emotions, left herself exposed to them. But grieving never ends. So, I what can she do?

* * *

**Thank You Time! Thank you Kuromy Rokuichiku for following and favoriting. Thank you cassturn93 for following and favoriting. Thank you Fear14 for following and favoriting. Thank you the gingersata for favoriting and follow. Thank you rebel-blueberry for favoriting. Thank you TessaFred for following. Thank you Paint the Fangirling UniWolf for reviewing. Congratulations, you managed to get me interested in Steven Universe. There is actually an awesome a Steven Universe amv to Wait For It. I actually could hear Chance singing the first part, Sonya singing the second part and Ezra singing the last part. Sonya's theme song is still Who I'd be from Shrek the Musical though. Thank you Skypeoplephoenix732 for reviewing. Word of advice, for cramps for level 0-3 take an ibuprofen, for levels 3-5 take two, for levels 5-8 spring for a Midol, it is expensive but it will stop them, for 9-10 take 2 Midol and I would recommend cancelling all previous planned engagements. A blanket, a sh*tload of chocolate and a bad rom-com will be much more interesting at that point. Thank you Jedi Jelsa777 for reviewing. How was this chapter? Thank you cassturn93 for reviewing. Your review made me smile so much. I dream about reviews like this, the ones who tell me that they enjoy it enough to not stop reading it. Thank you Midnight Luna for reviewing. Did you check out the archive I told you about? You are not worthless. You are never worthless. You are an incredible human being. Luna, you make me smile and laugh every week when I read your reviews. I am exceedingly grateful that you never miss review a chapter. I don't say anything because I don't want anyone to feel obligated to review, but I do notice when a regular reviewer stops commenting. And I do keep a look out for them around the fandom to see if they are still reading fanfiction. I did notice that you had missed reviewing the first chapter of I Don't Blame You when it first came out. I figured you just didn't see it, but I did worry if you were alright or not. If you ever need anyone to talk to, I am her for you. If you want it to be privately and not through author's notes, I will find a way to make that happen. You are amazing. I really did mean what I said in the birthday special. Thank you for always reviewing. *Gives Hugs* I means so much to me to have a reviewer like you.**


	43. Chapter 40: Mission: Naboo

**RUHLSAR000 Here! I am floored by the response of the last chapter! I was very worried that you all would hate it and that it would destroy her character, but I really wanted to show that her loyalties dividing and complicating further. Sonya, beyond anything else, is compassionate and loyal to those around her. And with troops directly under her, she feels responsible for protecting them, something that in a way puts her at odds with her loyalty to her brother. ****I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! HAIL TO THE MOUSE!**** I apologize for errors delays and long winded author's notes. Oh, and I am heading out of the country for a study abroad next weeks, so updates for Ner Vod and I Don't Blame You will be sketchy over the summer.**

* * *

Leia stands up from her ship. She doesn't know whether she is jittery with excitement or ready to puck. She tries to stifle both feelings. She is a princess, she has been raised better than this. A calming wave washes over her. She smirks, looking up at her bodyguard. She knows, somehow, that it is coming from him, and she is grateful. His helmet's visor is down covering his eyes and a bandage covers those distinctive scars of his.

She will admit it in her head, it does put her mind at ease to have him here. "Ready to dispense aid in the name of the Imperial Senate." Her bodyguard nods, though she can practical see the "really" glare from under his visor.

He stands in front of her. She looks up at him. He is holding out a very thin blade in a sheath. The handle has a touch of embellishment. "Take it." He orders.

"Are you giving me orders?" She smirks at him.

Ezra lifts his visor and looks her in the eye. "We don't know what we are going up against. And I'd feel better if you weren't unarmed."

"And how am I suppose to get it passed security?" Leia raises an eyebrow. Even he is going to have to turn over the blaster he is using for the mission when they get into the palace.

"Turn around." Ezra says.

"Again, I out rank you." Leia smiles, turning around. Ezra tucks it into her braided bun. Leia reaches back and feels it. It feels no different than any other hair pick. "Alright, I admit it that is pretty smart."

"It's not much, just what I was able to scrounge together with some scrap around the base." Ezra smiles, with a shrug.

"Really?" Leia say,s astounded. It looked too nice to have just been scrape. "It looked like something I'd buy."

"That's the point." Ezra smirks. "In my previous line of work I need to be good with my hands."

"Oh, and just what was you previous line of work?" Leia smirks.

"General nuisance to the Empire. So not much has changed." Ezra returns the smirk.

"Come on, General. We have people waiting for us." Leia smiles.

"So, does this count as a date?" Ezra asks, sarcastically.

Without missing a beat, Leia adds, "We're up to three." Her voice is completely serious.

Ezra pauses, as Leia walks forward. "So, running around sewers counts as a date?" Leia lets out a chuckle. The two of them walk out of the ship. A formal looking senator is standing there on the landing platform.

He raises his arms in a welcome gesture. "Ah, Princess Leia, welcome to Naboo."

"Senator Jarks, a pleasure." Leia says, calmly and sweetly. Ezra rolls his eyes under the visor, glancing around. Naboo is so beautiful. Hard to believe that the Emperor was born on this planet of all planets.

"Yes, though I will admit that I was quite surprise to here that you wished to bring aid to the Gungans." Senator Jarks comments as they walk off the platform.

"The Gungans are sentients recognized by the Constituion of Naboo and the Stature of Sentient Beings of the Republic. Your governments have worked together since the amendment to the constitution implemented by Queen Amidala after the Battle of the Trade Federation, serving as an example to many planets with multiple sentients. Several Gungans have even served in the Republic and Imperial Senate. I fail to see how I could refuse to aid them when the rebel activity has made trade it more difficult for them to get the medical supplies needed for them to fight this plague they are facing. I will not sit by and watch people suffer."

"Right, of course." The senator stammers before the strong willed princess. Ezra controls his smirk. Leia is good with a blaster, great even, but she truly shines behind the scenes in planning and in getting into places where rebels normally couldn't manage.

"We wish to see them as soon as possible." Leia continues.

"That will not be possible. The Gungan cities have been placed under quarantine." The senator informs her. "We will not risk the human residents of Naboo."

"But very few disease cross the species barrier." Leia protest.

"Perhaps you should take it up with the Queen, Your Highness." The senator suggests.

"Oh, I will." Leia says. Ezra bumps her side, giving her a look. _Don't antagonize him_. Leia mentally huffs. He is right. She can't blow her cover. They reach the security. Ezra turns over his blaster. Leia new hairpin does set off the metal detector, but she is able to bat her doe eyes and say it would take her hours to redo her hair and gets through. After all, a diplomat from an allied system is low on the possible threat list.

"You are excused, Cupos." Leia says to Ezra, using his cover name.

Ezra looks up at the senator then back to the princess. She catches the message that he hadn't meant to telegraph. _I don't trust him. More than usual._

"Yes, Your Highness." Ezra bows to her. She looks at him, trying to convey a message. _I'll be careful._ Ezra stiffens for a moment but she knows he got it. She walks off with the senator. Ezra walks through the corridor finding a closet he slips in. He flips his jacket inside out and crawls in to the vent.

* * *

"Hey Willy." Willy jolts up, hitting his head on the cabinets he is working in. "Hey… D," He groans, rubbing the back of his head. "What is it?"

"Your keeping the bets for the dates right?" D asks.

"Well, no, not at all." Willy tries to cover his tracks.

D rolls her eyes. "I want to place a bet on Ezra's love life."

"You placing a bet on when you will ask him out counts as insider knowledge." Willy sits up.

"Not me. We're just friends." D rolls her eyes. Willy mutters something along the lines of "Yah kriffing right." "I want to bet him and Leia Organa will be dating by the end of their mission."

"Really? You think the rumors are true?" Willy says, referring to the few and far between rumors that aren't about D and Ezra.

"If they aren't, then she's a bloody fool." D says. "I don't think they are true now. But I think they will be by the end of the mission."

"How do you even know about the mission?" Willy says, realizing she shouldn't even know about it.

"Alpha Squad needs to sign a non-disclosure agreement when they make tech for other cells." D deadpans.

After seeing Willy's frustrated look, D tacks on, "They were vague. It just isn't that hard to put a few pieces together."

* * *

Ezra crawls through the vent. He glances out into the room, the Senator's office. "What's with Imperial security?" Ezra smiles as he drops into the office. Senator Jarks is a friend to the Emperor. He should have more access to data than other sources. Damaging information to the Empire. Maybe even the Death Star…

He pulls out the datakey that the Phoenix Alpha squad made. He plugs into the Senator's computer. Windows flash open, fast, scanning files for anything. Now, all Ezra can do is wait. And hope Leia can do here part in distracting the Senator. Ten minutes pass before the key stops scan. Ezra looks at the files it has kept open. Nothing.

Wait! That doesn't make any sense. Ezra recalls something Leia said on their way here, that her father had to keep excellent notes on senate meetings and that those would trigger it. But the notes it triggered the key weren't that good, not good enough for him to do his job, anyway. He could tell that with even his elementary level reading skills.

So…

What if… What if he is keeping things from the Queen? That had to be it! The queen could order access to the Senator's computer at any time because the office supplied it. If he is doing something the Queen wouldn't approve of or otherwise damaging, he'd keep it on a private computer.

Ezra begins the safely ejecting protocol. Finding a private computer, this is going to be difficult. He will notice if anything is out of place. He slowly begins shifting around the desk. Nothing and the rest of the room is almost completely barren.

There had to be a secret compartment or something. He grabs the key and shoves it into his pocket. He glances over the inlays on the desk looking for something. The Force blares into his ears. "Karablast!" Ezra says, diving under the desk.

The door swishes open. The Senator walks in. Leia stands in the doorway. Ezra can feel her nerves. But she does an excellent job of hiding them. "Senator, surely we should be meeting with the Queen so I may begin my mission."

"The Queen is very busy, Your Highness." The senator says. Ezra really doesn't like the tone in his voice or the feeling he is giving off. He feels slimier than most things Ezra has ever felt. And given that he is a Taken, that is saying more than what most people wish to know.

The senator sits down in at his desk. Ezra leans back avoiding his legs. "Please, sit."

"Senator, I am not here for a social call." Leia says, from the hall. She sounds uneasy. Ezra closes his eyes, trusting the Force. It flows through him. He steps back into his mind. The Force uses him as a focus. It targets a woman walking through the hall, nose buried in a datapad. It influences her distracted mind to step, to wander slightly to the side. A collision course. She knocks into Leia sending both tumbling to the ground.

"Oh, I am so sorry." The woman says.

"Representative Naberrie," the Senator barks out.

"I am fine." Leia says, getting up. "As I was saying Senator, how long until I can meet with the Queen?"

"Isn't the Queen is accepting audiences right now. I thought you knew that, Senator?" Representative Naberrie says.

"Must have slipped my mind." The Senator mutters. And with that Ezra is certain that he does not like this Imperial. "I will take you to see the Queen, immediately. My apologizes for the delay." The Senator rises. The door closes behind the Senator. Ezra let out a breath, letting his head hit the back of the desk.

There is a small piece of wood falling out. Ezra tilts his head. Everything else in the room is pristine. So why would a sharp piece, that actually is dangerous, be ignored? On impulse, he reaches up and pushes it in. Nothing. He pulls it out. A popping noise can be heard. Ezra slides out of from under the desk.

An inlay has popped up, revealing a computer. "Oh, yes!" Ezra smiles, getting the key and plugging it in. Files open and flash across the screen as the key does its thing. Ezra catches a word on the edge of a file. "Gun-gan." Ezra sounds out. The other species on Naboo. He pulls the file to the front. Ezra reads it as quick as his abilities allow, which is agonizingly slow. His stomach churns as he reads it further.

He isn't quiet sure how but this Senator who hasn't said a word to him has managed to get on his top five least favorite imperials, right after Kallus.

* * *

Leia sighs, sitting on the bench in the gardens. It is a secluded place. How Ezra plans to find her is beyond her. However, he said he would. "Your Highness." Senator Jarks's voice surprises her.

Leia stands. "Senator Jarks. What a surprise."

"A pleasant one, I am sure." Jarks says, "Where is your bodyguard?" He steps closer to her.

"He is around." Leia says, shoving down the feeling of comfortableness.

"What a poor bodyguard. Leaving his mistress all alone." Jarks says, taking another step closer. He reaches out his hand and strokes her cheek.

Leia shoves the revolution down. She needs to stay calm and not blow her cover, her family's cover. He is a senator. He can't do anything. Right?

"Senator Jarks." Ezra's voice comes into the air. They both turn to him. He is glaring at the Senator. "I would appreciate if you would unhand my mistress. I doubt your Queen would like to hear about what you are trying to do to her guest." His voice is cold and angry. Leia would have been unnerved if not for something else, protectiveness.

"I was doing nothing, Simpleton." Jarks glares down at him. "You left her alone."

"At her request," Ezra lies so smoothly that Leia questions whether or not she did. "I assumed my mistress would be safe within the palace." His words hold no accusation, yet the tone leaves one.

"There is no safer place on Naboo." Jarks says.

"All the same, my Mistress will not be left alone again." Ezra says.

Jarks narrows his eyes. "I must be off. As a senator, I am very busy." Jarks walks away.

Ezra glares at him until he is out of site. Leia looks up at him. "Thanks."

"Why didn't you pull hairpin?" Ezra asks, frustration lacing his voice.

"I couldn't blow my cover." Leia says.

"It wouldn't have blown you cover." Ezra sighs, frustrated, "Why didn't you get away?"

"I… I didn't think I was in danger." Leia says.

"No, you did but you doubted yourself." Ezra sighs, exacerbated. "Never doubt your instincts! They will never let you down. Especially yours!"

"Wha- Why mine?" Leia asks, looking at him funny.

Ezra realizes his mistake and his promise. He wants to tell her so bad. She deserves to know. And she'd be safer if she knew. But it isn't his choice. It should be Leia's choice, but it is her father's for now. He can't lie. So he tell her something he knows from the street. "Women have better instincts than men."

Leia sighs. "My instincts are telling me you're not tell the whole truth. We will be talking about this later, Sweetheart. Did you find anything?"

"Would I fail you?" Ezra says, playfully, but it doesn't have as much energy as it normally would. A crease immerges in Leia forehead. "But, that's not important."

"Oh, really? Then is this just a romantic vacation?" Leia raises an eyebrow.

"Leia, there is no Gungan epidemic." Ezra looks at her completely serious.

"What?" Leia says, dumbfounded.

"It's a Gungan Geoncide." Ezra says, swallowing his own shock. Leia stares at him as if he spoke gibberish. "The blockade… The senator is created it, on order of the Emperor, to starve the Gungans into extinction."

Leia frowns her hand going to her chin. "Before the epidemic started, the Gungans were introducing legislation to the Naboo government that was… not anti-Imperial, but non-favoring to Imperial. And if the Emperor lost control of his homeworld it would reflect poorly on his administration and strength rebellious tendencies in other systems."

Ezra nods, but something doesn't add up. "Makes sense. But what I don't get is why all the secrecy? They didn't need that when other systems, like Lasan."

"It's because the Gungans have many allies in the Senate and many on Naboo see the Gungans as much members of the community as I." A voice causes them to jump.

"Representative Naberrie!" Leia says, quickly turning to the woman in question. Ezra curses himself for not sensing her approach. Though, he can't sense anything when Leia opens up. Her Force signature is truly blinding. "How much did you her?" Ezra grips his hand. He still hasn't preformed the Jedi Mind Trick successfully but he may need to risk trying again.

"The Emperor ordered." Represenative Naberrie says. "I suspected something suspicious was going on but I never thought it went that high." Her voice is troubled.

"Representative Naberrie?" Leia asks.

"I have been working to gather evidence that Senator Jarks is concealing information from the Queen, but it has been slow." Representative Naberrie sighs.

"Wait… Are you helping us?" Ezra looks from her to Leia and back. Ezra throws out his sense over her. She is genuine

"I'd wait until I give actual results before using the words helping." Representative Naberrie says. "My family has been friends with the Gungangs since my aunt was queen.

"Your aunt was queen?" Ezra asks.

Leia rolls her eyes, "Cupos, this is Representative Pooja Naberrie, niece of the late Senator Amidala, former Queen of Naboo." And the woman that was Leia's hero, Ezra remembers.

"So ,what is the plan?" Ezra says.

"Find enough evidence to present to the Queen. If we can bring this to her attention, she will undoubtedly put a stop to it." Pooja says.

"She might even remove him from the Senate, as he is suppose to be her eyes and ears on the Imperial Center." Leia says. Could be very beneficial to the rebellion…

"I think you two are forgetting something of critical importance." Ezra says, before the two start to scheme. The two look at him, surprised. "How much longer do you think the Gungans can hold out?"

Leia and Pooja share a look. They can't answer that.

* * *

**Thank You Time! Thank you amichalap for following. Thank you cassturn93 for reviewing. I might put something similar at a later date, though I will try to be even wittier. My mind started cranking out lines the moment I read it. My personal favorite so far is Sabine going, "There are bucketheads that can actually hit, where do you think he is?" Sonya and Ezra really do bring a whole new meaning to sibling rivalry. Thank you Paint for reviewing. I looked up the SWR version, it was good but I am kind of disappoint they started midway through the song. Thank you TessaFred for reviewing. I love making complicated characters because nothing in life is one-dimensional. Thank you skypeoplephoenix732 for reviewing. Glad you like the black/white thing. Believe it or not, that view point of Sonya has been a part of her character since very early in her character design. Early enough to have been attached to her character as I was forming it. There was just never a time to mention it. And when I was trying to figure out how to end last chapter, it fit. I am so glad it did. Thank you Midnight Luna for reviewing. Oh, curd I did not mean to make you cry. Can I get you anything? Internet chocolate? *Pulls out big box of Internet chocolate* I would not complain about Jar Jar until you try to write him. He is a nightmare to write about and frankly I am amazed he turned out as well as he did in canon. Thank you Deathconsumer1448(ie FK 17) for reviewing. No problem, I am just glad your back and I feel increadibly honored that you consider this on of your favorite star wars fics. Thank you. Thank you Jedi Jelsa777 for reviewing. Indeed, Sonya, with everything she has been through, in some ways is very wise and in some ways very naïve. It is very fun to play with.**


	44. Chapter 41: More than an Appearance

**RUHLSAR000 Here! Japan was beautiful and amazing. I had so much fun. And anyone who complains about Jar Jar in the canon, I will punch you in the face. He is a pretty interesting character who is literally a nightmare to right. Go ahead I dare you to try. It will not turn out as well as it did in the Phantom Menace. I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! MAY THE MOUSE BE WITH YOU! I apologize for errors dalays and long winded auther's notes.**

* * *

"Woah…" Ezra gaps at the lake and the house and the hills. It is gorgeous.

"Come on, Cupos." Leia calls, getting out of the boat. Ezra turns to her and quickly follows. It would be amazing if they could stay here like they actually said they would. It is so peaceful. The Force hums peacefully in harmony with the vegetation and growth surrounding him. Sunlight dances around him as the most breath taking lights display he has seen. He could almost forget the Imperials and the Rebels and all the fighting.

He can't lie. He is growing weary of all this, yet he can't tell anyone because they are fighting a bigger fight. They need to be strong. At least, that is what he believes.

"Your home is beautiful, Representative Naberrie." Leia smiles.

"Yes, it is quite lovely and has been in my family for many years." Pooja smiles. Ezra did admire her skills. By inviting them to her family's lake house, Leia couldn't refuse without looking rude, giving them a believable excuse to get them out of site. From here they can vanish to smuggle food to the Gungans. Clever.

Pooja usher them up stair to the docks. As soon as they are inside, "My family managed to contact an old friend who know how to get to the Gungan cities. If you can get passed the quarantine."

"As much as I must stress the secret nature of this mission, I think we could use all the help we can get." Leia admits.

"I will warn you. He is… is a walking disaster with the luck of the gods." Pooja admits.

"If his friends say that, I am scared." Ezra mumbles. Ezra looks a spot on a balcony not that far away.

_A woman in finery kisses a man with a braid behind his right ear and a metal arm._

"Cupos, you coming?" Leia calls out. Ezra breaks out of his vision. Leia and Pooja had continued and are now well ahead of them.

"Pooji!" An annoyingly high pitch voice calls out. "Yousa back!" Ezra looks up to see a fish like creature who is unusually animated.

"Mr. Binks, you're supposed to stay inside, remember?" Pooja says.

"Former Senator Binks." Leia says. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Mesa pleased to meet yousa. But please, call mesa Jar Jar." The gungan animatedly shakes Leia's hand. Leia's stunned face sends laughter through Ezra. The gungan turns to him. "And yousa are?" He asks, cheerfully.

"I'm…Ben Cupos, Leia's bodyguard." Ezra answers, still not used to the name, but an entertained smirk plays across his face.

The gungang's eyes narrow half a centimeter, but he doesn't loose any of his mirth. "Nice to meet yousa, Ben."

"Nice to meet you to, Jar Jar." Ezra smiles, recalling all he knew on Jar Jar. It wasn't much, but it was impressing. To be able to maintain a genuine child like joy and wonder in as much hardship as he has had is amazing.

"Wesa should go inside. The gungang need help." Jar Jar's voice turns to a startling seriousness.

"Agreed. Mr. Binks." Leia nods. The group moves into the living room of the lake house. Pooja pulls up a holo of sever bubble domes.

"So, Mr. Binks, what is your plan to get Ben and I in?" Leia asks. "Representative Naberrie is planning on finding evidence against the Senator."

"Wesa going to use the tunnels that go through the core." Jar Jar says. "Though it will be very, very difficult."

"Yes, all the entrance are being guarded. Even the one near the palace." Pooja argues.

"Mesa know an entrance." Jar Jar says. "Only a few guards. Three at most" Jar Jar flicks the holo to a cavern.

"How come only you know about it?" Ezra asks.

"Yousa think yousa first people to try and bring supplies to Gungan. Mesa been looking for a way to get supplies to the Gungans since the blockade began." Jar Jar smirks.

* * *

Leia and Pooja wait ready to bring in the ship as Ezra and Jar Jar secure there entrance. Once the three guards are knocked unconscious (and Ezra gets Jar Jar unstuck from a ship), everyone loads the under water ship with enough rations for a small city for a week. Jar Jar, Leia and Ezra quickly launch, after Leia burns the clutch.

"I can see why no one uses this entrance." Leia notes, as she pilots the ship through the tight tunnel-like cavern. Shadows of the pillar dance as the ship twists through the various ring, pillars and walls, creating an eerie blue world.

"Pillar at 1 o'clock." Ezra says, tightening his grip on the ship. Leia wasn't a bad pilot. In fact, he had been flown by people a thousand times worse, the first to come to mind is Talia. In fact, among the rebellion, she is probably more on the half that Hera is on. And she is strong with the Force. But this is a challenge environment and she is more familiar with space than anything else.

"I see it." Leia confirms, "gently" turning away. Ezra fights the oncoming groan and migraine combo, looking for a distraction.

"So, Jar Jar, you mentioned you were banished. Is that going to cause issue?" Ezra asks, trying to convince himself that he isn't going to die and convince himself Leia isn't a half bad pilot as Leia jerks to the right.

"No, no. Mesa banishment got overturned when mesa become Gungan General." Jar Jar waves the concern away, then grabs on to a handle as Leia jerks to the left. Ezra sends him a worried look. Jar Jar shrugs and whispers. "Meh, Mesa flown with Ani. Ani not a good pilot for passagers."

"Anyway, how-" Ezra's voice raises an octave as Leia spins. "How did you become a General?" Ezra asks, voice echoing in utter disbelief. Jar Jar tends on the side childlike and clumsy rather than intelligent and cunning. Not exactly prime general material.

"Desperation, really." Jar Jar shrugs. "The gungan army got called into battle very fast. Many generals were killed in the evacuation of the cities. Mesa brought Queen Amidala to meet Boss Nass. Then, made comment about terrain in planning. Mesa had tripped many times on that plain."

"That's… interesting." Ezra says. Clearly, it had been the right choice but…

Jar Jar nods as if knowing where his thoughts were, and agreeing a hundred percent. Ezra holds off on commenting, his eyes narrowing as his face morphed into his _I'm sensing something _face.

"Okay, we are out of the caverns." Leia lets out a sigh of relief. "Looks like we're in the clear."

"Mesa wouldn't be so sure." Jar Jar leans forward from his place in the back seat, suspicion in his eyes.

Ezra reacts before he is fully aware of what he is doing. "Look out!" Ezra reaches over and jerks the steering consol. The ship jerks to the side avoiding the jaws of a black long exceedingly well-toned creature. Jar Jar shrieks.

"What the-" Leia is cut off by Ezra jerking the wheel to avoid the creature.

"Mesa going to die down here! Again!" Jar Jar panics.

"Not if I can help it!" Ezra jerks the ship the other way. Leia slides out of her seat, switching with Ezra.

"Itsa gainin'!" Jar Jar shouts.

"Shut him up!" Ezra orders Leia, swerving the ship.

Leia looks back at Jar Jar, then back to Ezra. "I can't. He doesn't have an off switch." She snaps back, in a dry voice.

"Hold on." Ezra maneuvers them into a stone loop. The creature slams through it, dazing itself. Ezra maneuvers them as far a way as possible. He sits back and smiles at his companions. "That wasn-"

Another creature with a long tooth snout bites down on them. The cabin is filled with screams.

"Karablast! I just had to say it!" Ezra says, searching the controls for something useful.

A sickening cracking sound fills the cabin. "It's coming through!" Leia shouts as a spider web begins to crawl across the left windshield.

"I KNOW!" Ezra switches several switches and buttons, recalling a trick Hera showed him. The ship's haul sends out three electric pulses. The creature releases them, immediately. Ezra steers them away.

"I am seriously starting to understand why no one goes through the core." Leia says, to nervous to sit back.

Ezra nods. "Hopefully, we won't have to face anything like that again."

Jar Jar scratches the back of his head, the waves his hand in the seven o'clock position. "Wesa need to head back that way."

Both Leia and Ezra's heads slowly turn to him, giving him a look that is a cross between _You have got to be kidding me_ and _I'm going to kill you._ Ezra sighs, redirection the ship, mumbling what sounds like "Force be with us" under his breath.

* * *

"If I ever say, 'Let's go through the core of Naboo. It sounds like fun.' Put me in a mental hospital… And throw away the key" Leia sighs and leans back into her seat, as they are waved in to a docking bay. Her breath slowly returning to her

Ezra leans forward and taps one of the three spider webs now etched into the windshield, not liking how they looked. "You'd better do the same for me."

Jar Jar steps out first, followed the two kids. The guards, who had previously been ready to attack, relax quite a bit seeing a gungan and two children instead of soldiers. "Jar Jar." One of the gungans recognizes Jar Jar and greets him with respect.

"Hi! Mesa back! Wesa bring rations." Jar Jar says. Ezra has only ever felt the relief radiating from the room a few times. Mainly, when he gave a starving taken some of his cut. And the amount was overwhelming. He glances over to Leia. She can't identify where it is coming from, but she too is overwhelmed by it.

"Quickly, get it to the old and the young." The gungan orders. "And call for Boss Nass!"

Things spun into something Ezra is quite familiar with, controlled chaos. Leia, though, seems a bit out of her element and utterly horrified at the stages of starvation. Ezra, drawing on all his experience as a taken, added in making the rations easier for the weaker to eat and last by showing them how to turn ration bars into a filling soup. By the end of the day many gungans go to bed with a newfound hope.

Boss Nass is not one of them. He stands with his old friend Jar Jar and the two children infront of and engraved holo projector, a gift from a former ruler of the humans on Naboo. "You have my thanks and the thanks of the Gungans" Boss Nass says.

"I don't know how much we helped. This is in no way a permanent solution." Ezra sighs, voicing everyone's concern.

"The route we took is too small and dangerous to serve as a permit transport route." Leia admits.

"And that's if theysa haven't been alerted and reinforced the entrance, yet." Jar Jar points out.

"Good point." Ezra sighs, realizing he hadn't even considered that.

"Do yousa have any idea why the Queen would turn on da Gungans?" Boss Nass asks.

"The Queen doesn't know." Leia says, in a voice that rivals her father's refined diplomatic voice. "She was feed information that there was an epidemic and was forced to place a quarantine. She's even sent relief supplies and reached out to my father to gain more. The problem is the Senator. He is the one feeding her false information, and no doubt keeping the blockade up and steeling the relief supplies."

"Sadly, I didn't see what he was doing with them when I was infiltrating his office." Ezra sighs.

"Hesa bad news. Always been." Boss Nass confirms, with a sigh.

"I'm sure if she knew she'd put an end to it, immediately. The Queen seemed nothing but concerned when I spoke to her." Leia says. "We have an insider searching for evidences as we speak."

Boss Nass sighs, "Investigations take time. And wesa don't gots that. Mesa people are dying."

"If only Boss Nass could talk to the Queen. Then Mesa sure shesa investigate and personally see dat supplies are being delivered." Jar Jar says.

"That's it." Ezra says. "We just need to get an audience with the Queen. This week she is taking audences from anyone. Jar Jar didn't you mention that their was a route through the core the opened up at the palace?"

"Yes," Jar Jar starts. "But its one of the most heavily guarded entrances…"

"So we get a distraction." Ezra says.

If he were younger, Boss Nass would have laughed at this impossible plan, this plan so like that of the best Jedi, but now, he has felt too much, seen to much. His youth was ready to fight. But he has since become weary. "This is our best option. What is your plan?" Ezra explained the plan forming like mist in his mind. The groups spend the next three hours poking holes in it and coming up with solutions, turning the mist into stone.

When they finish, Boss Nass calls for guest rooms made for the three of them. Leia and Ezra head off to bed almost immediately, knowing they will need rest. Jar Jar, however, wishes to spend a few extra minutes catching up with his old friend. "Yousa think that Leia girl seems familiar?" Boss Nass asks, feeling like he's seen someone like her before but unable to pinpoint it.

"Mesa can't deside if shesa more like Ani or Padme." Jar Jar smirks, knowingly, but he keeps his tone level and full of wonder. "She has hisa temperament, hersa political mind and both theira hearts."

"Yes. Yes. Exactly right!" Boss Nass laughs before sighing. "If hersa enemies weren't probably mesa enemies, I'd feel sorry for them." Boss Nass admits, then wishing to change the subject asks, "So, how's that Queen of yours?"

Jar Jar smiles and the two continue to talk for another hour.

* * *

Ezra bursts awake in a cold sweat, awoken by a vision that's already escaped his mind. There is only one thing he remembers and that is only because of his sister's near hysterical voice. "Who the kriff is Chance?" He mumbles getting up. He needed something to distract him, as he feels just drained and restless at the same time. It's always that way after vision involving his sister.

He walks out of his room and to a balcony covered with a bubble like thing. This place is truly amazing. Lothal will always be home and there are certainly beautiful places there. But nothing compared to this planet. Theed's architecture is astounding. The Lake country is just a painting made real. And this place is utterly amazing, a fairy tale made real.

Brightly colored fish swim in front of him, illuminated by the lights of the city. Bubbles dance upwards, scattering lights as the pass through them.

"Ben…" Jar Jar's voice causes Ezra to jump.

Ezra turns to face Jar Jar. "Oh, hey, Jar Jar... Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"Mesa could be askin' yousa dat." Jar Jar walks up besides him. "Yousa wants ta talk about it?"

Ezra is quite for a while. Jar Jar doesn't rush him, though instead waiting patiently. "I guess, I'm just… tired. Not sleep tired. But…" Ezra thinks of his sister, of his parents, of the takens, of the gungans and of everyone hurt by this dang conflict. "I'm tired of the fighting without end. And I know I have to for things to get better but it never ends. 'Am I even making a difference? Maybe? But if I don't fight I know I'm not! It's just so dang tiring.' These thoughts just bounce around my head at every hour of the day!" Jar Jar nods, understanding. Ezra rubs his face. "I know poor choice in carrer." Ezra sighs. _As the bodyguard he is pretending to be or the rebel he is_, he adds in his head.

"Not dat all. Jedi aren't fighters, dey are peacekeepers." Jar Jar smirks.

Ezra can't help but find himself agreeing. Then, he jolts as he realizes who is saying it. "What? I'm not- Why would you think- The Jedi are all but extinct." Ezra finally decides on when his mind starts blanking.

Jar Jar smirks, knowingly, "Please, Mesa have know more Jedi than ten thousand people ever know, even at deir height. And dey all had dis look in their eyes. No matter how undisciplined or how they interpret the code. And, yousa is most definitely a Jedi. Mesa see it in yousa's stance. Mesa see it in how yousa scower the room. Mesa see it in the way yousa hold yousa's self. Mesa see it in yousa's actions. Mesa see it in yousa's words."

"So, it is that obvious. Even though it I'm only a padawan." Ezra sighs, giving in.

"Yousa do a good job hiding it. As mesa said, mesa just know more Jedi in mesa's short life than many Jedi have know." Jar Jar sigh. "Yousa a part of Master Windu's line?"

"Who?" Ezra asks tilting his head.

"Mesa like to think he was a friend. But hesa was… difficult. At the best of times…" Jar Jar shakes his head.

"So… do I remind you of him?" Ezra asks, wanting that connection to the old order that every Jedi and padawan seemed to have more of than him. Even D, whose Master, as awful as it was to say, had been far closer to becoming a Jedi than his master. The same could even be said for Ahsoka, who didn't even consider herself a Jedi. That isn't said to insult his master. His more fundamental train allowed him and Ezra to adapt better to being Jedi in this time. But still… "Or Anakin Skywalker. A few people I know from around that time have said I am like him…"

"Oh, no, no. Mace Windu was stern and hard, but hesa loved the Jedi Order more than anything. Hesa was afraid of himself though. Afraid of hesa temptation towards the Dark side. And Ani…" A pained look crosses Jar Jar's face. "Yousa nothing like Ani, Ezra. And yousa should be glad for that. Yousa and Ani may both care far more about others than is healthy, but when Ani got mad, hesa was fiery anger. Brash and reckless. Yousa a cold fury. It taken a lot to get yousa to act on yousa's anger. Yousa both challenge authority, but yousa use reason and yousa's heart. Ani just used hesa's heart. Ita hurt him a lot…" Ezra looks away, missing the pained long away look on Jar Jar's face.

"So I don't remind you of anyone." Ezra sighs, a little disappointed. He leans against the railing.

"Dat's not a bad thing. Many, many mistakes were made back then. By both sides." Jar Jar sighs, eyes filled with regret.

Ezra nods, letting his mind process it and everything. While the lose of life was awful and nothing could make it better, everything he learns points to a simple truth. A truth that he wished wasn't true.

The fall of the Order had been good for the Jedi, for the Light side. The Jedi had been corrupted by fear to the point where they forgot why they were afraid. In the destruction, a cleansing was reached. It had reached catharsis.

In the destruction, Kanan had found a new path for the Jedi taking the old ideals and adapting them to the new age. In the destruction, Zara was able to meditate and come to a new understanding of the Force. In the destruction, Ahsoka forged her own path, neither Jedi or Sith or Dark Side User. The Light Side has been cleaned from all the gunk it built up over the millennia.

Still, their lessons did have value. And the loss of life is… difficult for Ezra to swallow at the best of times.

"Quigon Jinn" Jar Jar says.

"Huh?" Ezra asks, thrown out of his thoughts.

"Yousa remind mesa a lots of Jedi Master Qui Gon Jinn." Jar Jar smiles, remembering the man fondly. "Hesa always be the number one Jedi to mesa. Hesa kind, strong, and protective of those he cares about. Hesa had a strong connection to the Living Force. Hesa connected well to all creatures and no matta de mission would do hesa's best to help anyone whosa path hesa crossed or crossed hesa. Hesa patient but had his limits. Hesa never put the Code above the Force. Lots of Jedi fell into dat trap. Hesa's main weakness was hesa put too much in the here and now, refusing to see both da big picture and da here and now. Hesa also very reckless."

"That… really does sound like me…" Ezra says, astonished. He knows what he is going to be researching when he gets back to the _Ghost_.

"Know hesa's weaknesses, know yousa's weaknesses." Jar Jar advises.

"So I can get rid of them…" Ezra says, almost without thinking. It's a lesson he's learned from the street and it's been reinforced as a Jedi and a rebel.

"Or use them to yousa's advantages." Jar Jar says, twinkle in his eyes. Ezra looks at him confused, and then it hits him. Jar Jar is, in spite of initial impressions, incredibly observant and, less surprising, very clumsy. Those two things rarely go together. And can be used brilliantly together. It's a similar to a strategy to one he learned on the street. Play with people's expectations. In doing so you can turn a weakness into a strength.

Ezra smirks, shaking his head. The world may think Jar Jar is just an idiot. But, he is actually tree steps ahead. "Now, I think both of us should head off to bed." Jar Jar smiles.

Ezra nods "Right, night Jar Jar." He starts back towards his room.

"Oh Ezra." Jar Jar calls. Ezra turns back to the gungan. "Id's always de older generations desire to pass on de good to the younger generation. Mesa think the Jedi Masters would be proud to have yousa as a successor."

* * *

**Writer's Corner: cassturn93. She has a lot of cute stories that are very enjoyable. My current favorite is The Youngling.**

** Thank You Time! Thank you daydreamer2016 and Auguste the clown for favoriting. Thank you The Keyrim and LordSkyjacker for favoriting and following. Thank you Paint for reviewing. Voltron rocks! And this always happens to space families because we have a sick fascination with seeing them suffer. As all the angst ridden Ezra-centric stories in this fandom attest. Thank you Jedi Jesla777 for reviewing. I know this is late but I hope you are feeling better. Glad to not have disappointed. With all the writer's block I've been having recently pertaining to this story, I've been worried about the quality. And I won't lie, it does feel like I could have done better and that does disappoint me. So hearing that makes me feel a little better. Thank you Midnight Luna for reviewing. No comment being made towards you father. I actually like the gungans. They aren't my favorite species in Star Wars (That probably goes to the Twi'leks) but given the fact that everyone in my family says my spirit animal is Jar Jar, I do have a fondness for him and the gungans. I do not believe you have MPD, however I do believe you are positively bonkers. But want to know a secret. All the best people are. As for killing a boy, I would advise against it. The insanity defense is notoriously hard to pull off. I went to Japan and loved it. Thank you casstrum93 for reviewing. Power is the root of all problems.**


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